February and March were bad months for the Western presence in Afghanistan. First the accidental burning of the Quran and then a lone soldier’s massacre of Afghan civilians undercut U.S. efforts to win Afghan hearts and minds.

Many called the incident "an inside job," arguing that the Taliban's five-month project to dig a 360-meter tunnel into the prison would not have gone unnoticed without the complicity of local officials. This only furthers the notion that the Afghan government is corrupt.

The U.S. must do damage control in Afghanistan. The recent WikiLeaks disclosures are undoing months of efforts by U.S. diplomats to repair relations with the Karzai government.

President Obama's politically motivated deadlines for troop drawdown have already undermined the effectiveness of the surge.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced a new timeline for American combat operations in Afghanistan—or did he?

Put effort and money behind court system, as the U.S. has done in building the military.

Despite the Karzai government's failures, a majority of Afghans continue to support democracy and the current system over the insurgent groups. But these achievements are fragile and reversible. A premature withdrawal from Afghanistan is a recipe for failure with disastrous consequences for the United States and world security.

Ahmad Majidyar and Ali Alfoneh examine how the Iranian government systematically uses the forced repatriation of Afghans living in Iran to undermine U.S.-led efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.