What's Next for Afghanistan?

When I reached former UN Dispatch contributor Ahmad Shuja in Kabul, the country was still reeling from the deadliest single Taliban attack since the start of the insurgency nearly 15 years ago. Some 160 young soldiers--mostly recruits-- were massacred in a brazen assault on a base in the northern part of the country. That attack came after the United States dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat on what was reportedly a network of tunnels used by insurgents

Shuja is an Afghan analyst and researcher who previously worked for Human Rights Watch. Now, he is affiliated with the American University of Afghanistan -- though he stresses that he is speaking in his personal capacity.

He discusses the implications of this recent Taliban attack, what the US government could be doing differently in Afghanistan, and how and why the government of Afghanistan is struggling to meet some of the basic needs of its people.

Ahmad discusses the deteriorating security environment in Kabul an…