Afghanistan’s stabilization appears to be gathering strength, about three years after the U.S.-led war that brought the current government to power. Successful presidential elections held on October 9, 2004 appear to be accelerating political and economic reconstruction, and the insurgency led by remnants of the former Taliban regime has been diminishing significantly. Since the defeat of the Taliban, Afghanistan no longer serves as a safe base of operations for Al Qaeda. Remaining obstacles to stability include the continued local authority of militias controlled by regional leaders and growing narcotics trafficking. U.S. stabilization measures focus on strengthening the central government and its security forces. This report discusses U.S. efforts in Afghanistan at length, as well as the efforts of other countries around the world and the costs of U.S. aid to Afghanistan.