[...] it enabled the country to embark on a road to install democratic institutions, like an elected parliament, a supreme court, an elected presidency and most importantly the re-opening of boys and girls schools. [...] women, denied the right to work outside their homes under the Taliban, were re-integrated into a free society -- though social inequality and traditional restrictions hamper the advancement of women in Afghanistan to this day. Kabul and other cities experienced a building boom fueled by legitimate money and illicit gains from the drug trade and funds amassed by warlords during the last 20 years of upheaval. Among the negatives to mention is the continuing but necessary war against a re-equipped and determined Taliban force affecting the overall security situation in almost the entire country, ongoing abuses by the population in the countryside by local strongmen and warlords who engage in land grabbing, kidnapping, extortion and narcotics trade. A. Despite occasional suicide attacks and bombings, some of them spectacular, the major cities are booming market places filled with mostly Chinese consumer goods, the latest electronics, cars, new and used, and, of course, local food stuffs. Everybody realizes, though, that if NATO/ISAF and, most importantly, U.S. forces would leave before we have a capable, well-equipped and trained Afghan military and police force at hand with a competent government to lead them, Afghanistan would not be able to defend itself against the Taliban and civil war could not be ruled out. A. Thirty years of turmoil, war and destruction, millions as refugees in neighboring countries, like Iran and Pakistan, living under harsh conditions has changed people's perceptions of whom to trust and whom to distrust. A. The Afghan Army and police have to be trained and sufficiently equipped in order to enable them to defend against hostile elements -- which has not been the case so far. [...] 2014, the withdrawal deadline, much work lies ahead. Afghanistan's vast natural resources, like copper, high grade iron ore, lithium, oil and gas offer the country a good chance to achieve self-sufficiency in the future. For these things to happen we need peace, and peace will not happen as long as the Pakistani ISI ( Inter Services Intelligence Directorate) and the Pakistani military is covertly assisting the Afghan Taliban and providing safe havens in their tribal area at Afghanistan's border where all the training camps are located. If there will be no resolution by 2014 and the Taliban will continue their insurgency and the Afghan Army is not yet ready to defend the country, then there could be a remote possibility that the non-Pashtun Tadjiks, the Uzbeks and the Hazara will take matters into their own hands and we would face a recurrence of a civil war. A.The biggest challenge going forward will be -- can we get the Pakistani military and specifically the ISI, which is practically running Pakistan's affairs, to go along with a negotiated settlement between the U.S., the Afghan Government and the Taliban. [...] is a negotiated settlement with the Taliban possible at all? At the moment they seem to be willing to enter into talks with U.S. representatives but reluctant to talk to the Afghan government, which would be crucial for any positive outcome. Because the Taliban are not a single monolithic group, the question is will everybody sign on to the process.