The US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 brought to light the comprehensive destruction of the Afghan state. Twenty years of continuous war had ravaged the country and with the Taliban s expulsion of western aid agencies, Afghans were further deprived of basic needs. The international community has rallied, donating nearly $40 billion in aid since 2001 to help develop Afghanistan. However, this investment has not yielded optimal results, as fundamental mistakes have limited the growth in capacity of the Afghan government and its people. Through analyzing the effectiveness of the major donor...