Afghanistan Faces Uncertain Future Without U.S. Troops

The recent assassination of Ahmad Wali Karzai shines a light on the intense instability of Afghanistan. The half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai was killed by his own body guard at home. As a key figure in NATO's battle against the Taliban, Ahmad's death was not the first, nor will it be the last, especially as the United States and other countries pull out of the region. President Obama announced that 30,000 troops will be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2012, according to CNN. The United States is not alone: All foreign troops are expected to quit Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Visibly distraught, President Hamid Karzai appealed to the Taliban militants to stop the violence.

"My message for (the Taliban) is that my countryman, my brother, stop killing your own people," Karzai said. "It's easy to kill and everyone can do it, but the real man is the one who can save people's lives." Hours later, a suicide bomb killed five French troops.

Assassinations of senior politicians

Even with the increased security at the funeral, an explosion hit an official car, leaving two members of the Afghan intelligence service injured Wednesday. In fact, the Ahmad's murder was the latest in a series of assassinations of senior politicians and security commanders across Afghanistan.

Questions remain over how to ensure the security of the country's officials because the vacuum left when the leaders fall only plays in the hands of the Taliban. Former MP Daoud Sultanzoy admits that, "in the south we have the drug problem, we have the insurgency problems, we have weak governance and we have a disaffected population."

Afghan women in danger

One part of the population in particular danger when the troops leave are the Afghan women. Samira Hamidi, the director of the Afghan Women's Network, fears that once troops pull out the situation for women and children in the country will only get worse . Even with the troops in place, there is everyday danger for Afghan women. A suicide bomb attack recently killed Hamida Barmaki, a law professor and commissioner at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, her husband and their four children. Stonings continue to go on in areas controlled by the Taliban.

Unfortunately the general consensus is that "it is just their culture and we can't do anything about it," says Hamidi when speaking of 90 percent of male politicians, according to OneWorld South Asia. This includes more than just the Taliban, though. Afghan women have many enemies: the warlords, conservative clerics, and many powerful authorities sitting in key government positions.

The hopelessness and fear for the future is intense. Hamidi adds, "If the situation goes bad again the women here have nowhere to go."

Overall lack of security

When the United States pulls out, Afghan civilians are left vulnerable. Even with the troops in place, the area is unsecured. Once the military leaves, it will be completely exposed. U.S. forces make up the bulk of combat troops and the Afghanistan National Guard is ill-prepared to take over, according to BBC News. The economy has been built up around bases, and this may also affect the stability of the region.

Nonetheless, the battle that has consumed U.S. resources for a decade is nearing a close, at least on our end.