US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday that the Trump administration's newly announced Asian approach to Afghanistan is aimed at "getting the Taleban to the negotiating table". Mr Tillerson made clear that Pakistan is central to this "regional strategy", with India playing an upgraded role too, but no mention was made of other key countries such as China which is an increasingly important player in Afghanistan.

Mr Tillerson's intervention came less than 24 hours after Donald Trump announced plans on Monday to entrench US military involvement in Afghanistan, a major reversal on his campaign pledge last year. Mr Trump's U-turn comes as the country stands at a critical crossroads with him claiming that a "new approach" is needed, despite the strong element of policy continuity announced this week with the Obama administration's strategy.

While fragile gains have been made since the Taleban's fall in 2001, the nation faces a daunting array of economic, security and political risks. And this is despite the fact that over a £100 billion has been already spent by Washington alone in the country.