The situation today is probably as bad as it has been since the ouster of the Taleban in late 2001. Despite the concerted effort by international soldiers to bring order to the war-torn country, suicide bombings, ambushes and insurgent attacks have become commonplace.

It is widely understood that these attacks are aimed at chipping away at the credibility of the popularly elected Afghan government. It is therefore incumbent on the international community to make sure that these attacks do not grow into something bigger than they are. A failure to suppress the insurgency and stop the senseless killings of civilians and aid workers will only roll back the tentative steps the country has taken towards democracy since the Taleban's fall.

If anything, recent events in that unhappy country have brought home to the rest of the world that no country can afford to be complacent when weak or failed states like Afghanistan stand tottering on the brink of chaos. Global terrorists are only too happy to exploit this indifference. That al-Qaeda so successfully grabbed a place for itself on the world stage on September 11 is a sobering lesson on how a country like Afghanistan can affect global security.

The best way to avoid further calamities should be clear to all: The international community must help Afghanistan achieve peace and development.Beyond the daily loss of life, the attacks of recent months against the Afghan government and the forces of its international backers, not to mention the innocent civilians, are hurting Kabul's relations with neighbouring Pakistan, which has been accused of serving as a home base for those who would see democracy falter in the region. Despite all the bad blood between Islamabad and Kabul over Pakistan's failure to expel the Taleban rebels allegedly operating along the two countries' border, Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta has raised the point that both nations stand to lose if they do not cooperate on security.

"We believe we're the main victim of terrorism. At the same time, I, myself, personally believe that ... Pakistan will also become one of the victims," Spanta told a recent news conference.

And while there are more than 80,000 Pakistani troops on the Afghan border, the bottom line is that the two countries must work together if they are to do battle with the remnants of the Taleban.

Solving Afghanistan's many problem will take time, and success will not come easily. The life expectancy of the average Afghan is 46, one of world's lowest, and one in five children there die before reaching the age of five. The country's government is still a far cry from being able to ensure stability and efficiency.

While the country has succeeded in establishing some of the basic institutions of government, getting them to work effectively remains a major challenge. Again, this comes back to the lack of security.

Effective state building depends upon the authorities' ability to eliminate security threats and enhance the rule of law. One key area is in the fight against narcotics.

Many of Afghanistan's security problems spring from the rampant opium and heroin trafficking, which keeps the warlords and insurgents flush with the cash needed to buy weapons. The international community can help in this areas by providing a concrete road map that could feature financial incentives and crop substitution aimed at reducing drug production.

The world can work with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in taking steps to establish his landlocked nation as a trade hub connecting the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe. Central Asia's potential as a trade hub is enhanced by the region's wealth of natural resources.

Stability is the key to unlocking this potential. A potent combination of drugs, weapons and militancy rules most of Afghanistan. Unless the international community can find a way to subdue these rogue elements, peace and stability will remain a dream.