The May 20 - 21 NATO Summit in Chicago is a turning point for future relations between Afghanistan and its major partner and ally, the United States, along with 27 other member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, who have been waging daily battles alongside Afghan National Army troops against a dangerous and crafty Taliban insurgency for the past several years. The ongoing conflict has taken a huge toll, not only on Afghan civilians, but on NATO forces and the support of the international community to continue its efforts in a country wracked by seemingly insurmountable problems.

The NATO Summit aims to create a roadmap for the next decade of international support for Afghanistan, beyond current plans to drawdown U.S. and NATO troops by the end of 2014, turning over the lead to Afghan security forces. Presidents Obama and Karzai recently signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement,