Afghanistan has experienced decades of war and social chaos. As a result, political power has drifted into the hands of abusive warlords, who torture, rape, murder, and steal to maintain their influence. In addition, the warlords zealously defend those who share their ethnic or tribal heritage, and therefore have strong support from those segments of the population. In much of Afghanistan, the government has not delivered adequate social or public services, and the warlords have thrived in the resulting authority vacuum - their self interests, however, have invariably generated conflict with efforts to develop a strong Afghan government.

    Most of the warlords no longer exercise power through private armies, but rather through mafia-like control of jobs, security services, money, contracts, and land. Several warlords control stretches of the major roads in Afghanistan, and make millions of dollars providing security for ISAF convoys. Although President Karzai was never a warlord, the lack of security and the extensive corruption in his government have made him unpopular among Afghans, and he is often denounced as weak and indecisive