The current reporting on the Western community's engagement in Afghanistan is characterized by confusion. A victory over the internationally operating terrorist network al-Qaeda is as little in sight as a complete marginalization of the Taliban. Efforts to establish a democratic state have also not yielded sustainable successes. On the contrary, the situation in Afghanistan is marked by growing instability and increasing violence, particularly against international forces. Thus, the Afghanistan mission has so far brought neither a significant increase in security nor in development. Consequently, criticism of this engagement is growing in public and published opinion in the Western sending states, as well as in academic discourse. Reactions to the seemingly hopeless situation vary.