Can the US defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan?

Security is worsening as the Taliban continue to wield control on large parts of the South Asian country.

Can the US defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan? Security is worsening as the Taliban continue to control large parts of the country.

The US war against the Taliban in Afghanistan began soon after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Sixteen years on, what progress has been made?

A new report suggests very little. The security situation is only getting worse by the day. About 500 Afghan soldiers are being killed every month and the UN says civilian casualties are at a record high.

Much of the Taliban's funding comes from opium poppies and the illegal drugs trade. The value of opium has doubled to more than $3bn in one year.

The US has pumped more than $700bn into Afghanistan since the beginning of the war - a report suggests the US does not even know how the money is being spent.