The problems the U.S. forces face in Afghanisthan

The U.S. forces face many problems in the war in Afghanistan today. The first major problem is the geography the U.S. troops are in, such as the tribal areas (Korengal valley) where the Taliban are hiding out. The troops have had a difficult time finding the Taliban because there are few roads, and Taliban blend in easily with the hillsides. Some soldiers say they are like ghosts since they are hard to find because they don't where formal uniforms. The territory of the tribal areas are too big for the troops to find the Taliban. In addition, the Taliban know the tribal areas really well the the U.S. troops don't know the area that well which creates a problem. The Taliban can also cross the border into Pakistan since the Korengal valley in right on the border.

The second problem is the people who live in the villages. When the U.S. troops ask these people where the Taliban are hiding, the people won't respond because they are fearful of what might happen to them if the Taliban found out that they told American soldiers information about there whereabouts. The Taliban installs fear into the local people in the villages which makes them not want to share any information the the American troops.

The third problem is the growing and strengthening of the Taliban. The Taliban are harrasing and intimidating NATO forces. They are able to make revenue by selling opium. Karzai's government does like the Taliban using opium in order to make revenue. The Taliban are able to grow with thier opium money and cause more problems for the Americans and NATO forces.

The fourth problem is who is in charge. When the U.S. invaded in 2001, they moved the Taliban aside and didn't replace them with a government. Creating a stable government will be very difficult because of the Taliban, Al Qiada and bandits who roam in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is very poor and the infrastructure needs improvement. It is difficult for the U.S. to fight the Taliban, improve buildings and the government and fight in an enemy territory all at the same time.