Afghanistan's three-year drive for stability reached a milestone when Mr. Hamid Karzai was sworn in Tuesday as its first popularly elected president. But the road is strewn with obstacles. Ethnic and tribal divisions are clouding prospects for national unity. As yet, there is no end in sight to terrorist attacks, apparently by remnants of the Taliban.
Local warlords, meanwhile, continue to defy central authority, and the opium trade is preventing the growth of a healthy economy. The good news is that a full-fledged administration is emerging in Kabul with the blessing of the international community.
The new administration has two overriding aims: achieving national reconciliation and establishing a functioning democracy. These efforts, of course, require continued international support, but it should be provided in ways that respect the sovereignty of the Afghan people. Although President Karzai enjoys the solid backing of the United States, he would be wise to adopt a reconstruction process that does not rely solely on U.S. military power.