![US troops deployed in Afghanistan in an image from 2006.](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/v2/4R2QSDVFNVEWVJS7LEDN7B4KUQ.jpg?auth=639ff5bdeeb1d7af05ac5564f3ee2251492d65bbcb7a13abf7b020cd06e435cc&width=414&height=233&focal=1281%2C816)
The black hole of corruption that swallowed up US investment in Afghanistan
Programs based on unrealistic objectives, excessive levels of aid and a lack of local understanding have contributed to financial disaster as well as military failure in the country