▁as ▁by ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁in e ffic iency ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁Afghan ▁government ▁officials . ▁On ▁the ▁provincial ▁and ▁national ▁level , ▁projects ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁National ▁Sol id ar ity ▁Program me , ▁inter - pro vin cial ▁road ▁construction , ▁and ▁the ▁US - led ▁rev amp ing ▁of ▁rural ▁health ▁services ▁have ▁met ▁with ▁more ▁success . ▁As ▁NAT O ▁prepar es ▁to ▁withdraw ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁remaining ▁IS AF ▁troops ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁whether ▁the ▁Afghan ▁government ▁will ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁sust ain ▁the ▁development al ▁g ains ▁made ▁over ▁the ▁past ▁ 1 2 ▁years , ▁and ▁to ▁what ▁extent ▁international ▁civil ian ▁aid ▁organizations ▁will ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁continue ▁operations ▁or ▁ref ocus ▁their ▁efforts ▁based ▁on ▁less ons ▁learned , ▁remains ▁to ▁be ▁seen . ▁ ▁The ▁UN ▁Security ▁Council ▁established ▁the ▁International ▁Security ▁Ass istance ▁Force ▁( IS AF ) ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁provide ▁basic ▁security ▁for ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Afghan istan ▁and ▁assist ▁the ▁Kar za i ▁administration . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁the ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁IS AF ▁and ▁U . S . ▁forces ▁have ▁clim bed ▁from ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁them ▁belong ▁to ▁various ▁branches ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Ar med ▁Forces , ▁who ▁are ▁not ▁only ▁fighting ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁ins ur gency ▁but ▁also ▁training