Major US and NATO challenges

In The War Briefing, there are many problems that are told of. However, there are four main issues that the United States and its allies will have to overcome in order to secure the freedom and safety of Afghanistan.
One of the biggest issues facing NATO is the corruption in the Afghan Government. The US spends billions of dollars, sends thousands of troops, and fights for the Afghans in Afghanistan. However, this effort is underminded by President Hamid Karzai and his corrupted government. In the presidential elections resently, Karzai was accused of stuffing ballot boxes and paying off people to vote for him. His overall election fraud has rattled already skeptical citizens and lost support for his government. With alligations that his brother is influential in criminal activities, it is hard to believe that Karzai is truely focusing on the war on drugs and ridding his country of criminal enterprises.
NATO also has to deal the Pakistan and its unwillingness to fight for control of the Tribal regions inbetween Pakistand and Afghanistan. Pakistan has been very lax on their effort to control the tribal regions, and in the Swat Valley, even allowed the Taliban to set up their own government in the area and enact the strict Fundamentalist laws of Sharia Law. This unwillingness allows the Taliban to have a base of operation out side of the United States realm of military power, while still being within reach of attacking military instilations in Afghanistan.
Another one of the main issues the United States is facing is their inability to patrol and control all of Afghanistan because of their lack of troops. The Unites states, engaged in two wars, has streatched its military thin and, according to General McCrystal, is not able to control and will continue to lose control of Afghanistan if more troops are not installed. This tuesday President Obama will present his plan to send close to 35,000 to Afghanistan in the coming months. The lack of troops in Afghanistan, has made it difficult for the United States to maintain control, but most of all, instill a sense of safety for the Afghan people. In the front line video, the people of many small villages in Afghanistan follow what the Taliban say, not because of their belief in it, but because of their lack of trust in the United States and its ability to protect them.
The drug trade is one of the most common, evident, and profitable ways for the taliban to make money and support their ideals. Much of the Afghan farmers in the more tribal areas out of the control of the United States, are growing poppies, again, not because they believe in the Taliban, but because it is the most profitable crop. The Taliban are willing to pay a large amount of local currancey and then sell it onto the world market. Poppies, which enable the Taliban to fund their ideals and wars. This is a touchy issue for the Unties tates however, because of the peoples need for an income and the inability of the US military to tell friend from foe. Many times the United States simply allows poppies to grow because they do not want to have to deal with the political backlash of civilian casualties.
These are some of the biggest issues that the Unties States and its allies are facing in Afghanistan, however, there are many more that we face and our soldiers face every day.