Obama Turns Focus to War in Afghanistan

For this reason, many U.S. military officials cite corruption as one of their greatest concerns. And so they are pushing for more prosecutions of Afghan officials who are on the take. The anticorruption effort is being bolstered by the arrival of U.S. Department of Justice officials, who are training Afghan judges in the arts of negotiation and mediation, according to Macdonald. "A lot of it here has to do with lands, things that go back hundreds of years. It's a dispute that you'll never figure out with a piece of paper," he says. "How do you make the best out of this deal so that everyone's happy and the tribes get along?"

The U.S. military has a vested interest in finding answers to such questions and is experimenting with different solutions. In the central Wardak province, it has launched the "Afghan public protection program" to pay and arm locals to protect their communities. Establishing these local militias has worried many in the international community, who fear it could reignite competition among warlords. The U.S. military is aware of this risk. "We asked, 'Are we arming the right guys?' " Macdonald says. Military officials recorded recruits' biometric identification data, consulted tribal elders, and ultimately changed their original plan. As the program was conceived, the militia members, who are younger and paid less than policemen, were going to work for the tribal elders, Macdonald explains. "But we realized that they needed to work for the local police." U.S. troops "also made sure the tribal elders picked the right folks," he says. "We trust but verify."

Despite their efforts, Afghanistan remains desperately short of resources. The new commander of U.S. forces, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, was confirmed by the Senate and then promptly boarded a plane to begin a 60-day assessment of the country and issue recommendations for a way forward. What is clear, senior Pentagon officials agree, is that there is much to be done. "We have our work cut out for us," Flournoy says. "The challenges are enormous. We do not have rose-colored glasses on. But we also know that we cannot afford to fail."