By Robert King

The Indianapolis Star

Oct. 7, 2011

Former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., says America has weakened al-Qaida and put its leadership into disarray, which has made America safer. But, he says, a decade into our presence there, Afghanistan still lacks political stability, good governance and -- once American support is scaled back -- a functional economy.

Objectives that began a decade ago with establishing a strong democratic government have been scaled back to a "viable" government, Hamilton said. Of late, violence has been on the uptick. And when U.S. troops are finally gone, the Taliban will remain. In the end, the outcome for Afghanistan could range from stable society to devastating ethnic civil war.

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Homeland Security Project