It is apparent that the US through Karzai controls Kabul, and nothing else in Afghanistan. The US military guy I quoted the other day was correct, Karzai is more mayor than president.

The Taliban was toppled, troops transferred to Iraq, and the countryside reverted to "warlords". And observers say that democracy or elections are meaningless under the present situation.

However, here's what the US says.

US Department of State, Fact Sheet, Bureau of South Asian Affairs, Washington, DC, June 15, 2004
The United States and Afghanistan - A Lasting Partnership

The U.S. partnership with Afghanistan began in October 2001 with the end of the Taliban regime and Afghanistan’s support for terrorism. Since then, the United States has provided more than $4.2 billion for reconstruction with another $1.2 billion requested for fiscal year 2005. The U.S.-Afghanistan partnership continues to broaden and deepen as Afghanistan continues to progress toward constitutional democracy and economic self-sufficiency. The United States has made a long-term commitment to Afghanistan and President Bush has pledged that the United States and Afghanistan will work together toward the day that Afghanistan is fully secure and self- sufficient.

And here's a very pro-American Canadian with great credentials, writing for a USA War College magazine.

A pro-American Canadian who works for the Royal Military College War Studies program.

• The so-called “warlords” and their violent operating methods are a reality. It is critical that the more zealous members of international legal institutions recognize that antagonizing them or calling them to account under Western legal structures is completely counterproductive to the reconstitution of Afghanistan. We must resist the inclination to be judgmental. We need to work with them. Those who don’t want to participate will have to be co-opted, since outright removal will trigger waves of violence that could wreck what has been built thus far. Constructive engagement could lead to moderation.

• Democracy and human rights in Afghanistan—by our standards and by our concept of time—are perhaps not possible in the short term. The complexities of inter-tribal and inter-ethnic politics in Afghanistan make Bosnia look like an easy problem to solve. Given the high level of illiteracy and the probable high levels of political intimidation that will accompany any Western form of electoral process, the mere concept of democracy cannot be expressed, let alone take hold in the near term. We need to think in terms of “modernization” as opposed to “democratization.” The Afghan peoples have a traditional system: can they modify and update it to satisfy us? Should they?

A little more grim. Certainly no axe to grind, even though conservatives are irritated the organization doesn't approve of US or Israeli war crimes.

Amnesty International Report 2004 The security situation continued to deteriorate throughout the country and was particularly serious in the north, south and southeast. The central government – the Afghan Transitional Authority (ATA) – had virtually no control outside Kabul. Local armed groups and regional commanders, some of whom continued to receive US support, consolidated their regional power bases and acted with impunity in these areas. Several pilot projects on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration began in October but had made little progress by the end of the year.

And another group with presence in Afghanistan and an interest in people.

Relief Web With the fledging Afghan army and national police yet to be extended across the country to supplant the militias and strengthen the government's control beyond the capital Kabul, factional violence still dogs the government's efforts to stabilise the country.

Arf