Amid a bloody stalemate in Afghanistan, the U.S. military has stopped releasing information often cited to measure progress in America’s longest war. In the past, U.S. military officials have said focusing on insurgent strength in areas with larger populations is more useful. It said a “heightened sense of insecurity” had dominated the country this past winter as the Qatar talks continued. The last round of talks ended with a draft framework of an agreement on the troop withdrawals but no concrete results. The report listed “widespread insecurity,” poor police capacity, sluggish economic growth, drug trafficking and corruption, and the challenge of reintegrating Taliban fighters.

Source: Washington Post May 01, 2019 20:48 UTC