Three years after the US invasion, Paktia Province and the rest of southeastern Afghanistan illustrate the mixed results of an intervention that ousted the Taliban regime but has yet to capture Osama bin Laden or forge a stable, centralized state to keep out terrorists for good.In the simplest sense, the Bush administration has achieved the goal behind the US bombing that began here on Oct. 7, 2001: Afghanistan is no longer a sanctuary where anti-US militants could operate with impunity. And the country holds its first presidential election Saturday, a milestone by any measure. But that success will remain precarious, according to Western diplomats, aid workers, and analysts, if the United States does not act quickly against two long-term threats — the power of militia warlords and a resurgent drug economy that could make Afghanistan a lawless narco-state.Full Story
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