Five Signs Afghanistan Is Becoming An American Success Story (From Forbes)

Fourteen years into a frustrating counter-insurgency campaign in Afghanistan, the U.S. and its 40-odd coalition partners seem to have made major progress in stabilizing the war-torn country. Afghan security forces, who now have the lead in protecting the local population, are performing well. The political outlook has brightened thanks to the departure from office of President Hamid Karzai and a power-sharing agreement between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah. The government of Pakistan is being more cooperative in suppressing extremists on its side of the border. The economy has improved markedly, drawing millions of expatriates back home. And public-opinions surveys indicate Afghans are satisfied with their government and their security forces. So now is no time for Washington to get penny wise and pound foolish about giving Kabul what it needs to sustain progress. I have written a commentary for Forbes here.