force from Afghanistan could be dangerous if the remaining troops who were spread too thin or short staffed. The Taliban could see this as a weakness and forcibly depose of the rest in a surprise attack. In contrast, supporters of this strategy argue that the “security in the country is deteriorating, despite the existing U.S. military presence there”20. From an economic standpoint, this option seems like a clear winner – less U.S resources in Afghanistan, less money spent abroad, and less time involved in other countries’ domestic issues. However, I would argue the United States has a heightened obligation to ensure peace in Afghanistan and leaving, would undoubtedly lead to more conflict in the future.

Instead of removing all of the troops at once, a more effective method would be to strategically remove them over a period of time, and, in parallel, bring in other organizations like the United Nations to help reconstruct Afghanistan. Post-conflict reconstruction is holistic and multidimensional effort to simultaneously improve military (restoration of law and order), politics (governance), economy (rehabilitation and development) and social condition (justice and reconciliation)21. If the United States put more effort in improving the economic dimension of reconstruction, I believe there will be more meaningful progress. Projects which involves restoring physical infrastructure and facilities, establishing of social services, creating the private sector and implementing structural growth are ways in which a country can build a foundation that is not rooted in corruption and violence.

Taking into consideration Afghanistan’s strategic geographic location and natural resources could make it a hub for international trade. Using American troops to enforce security while bringing in economists, peacekeepers and educators would enable the local people to trust and participate in their government. This way, the U.S. is not seen as abandoning its responsibilities in rebuilding a war-torn nation and is also empowering the Afghan people to take part in their own government. The troops should focus on working with the Afghan military to train them and restore the law and order while United Nations experts would go in to rebuild the economy and rehabilitate the people. This approach is more time consuming and involves multiple stages with multiple stakeholders. This method would