Abdullah Abdullah

President Ashraf Ghani has promised a complete overhaul of Afghanistan’s government to root out corruption and incompetence, but after three months in office, three missed deadlines and countless promises, he and his election rival-turned-deputy have yet to appoint a single Cabinet minister.

The United States, Britain and other allies promised Thursday not to abandon Afghanistan’s new government, and the country’s president said “peace is a top priority” as international security missions end and Taliban attacks surge.

Afghanistan is often thought of as a place where some of the world’s most dangerous Islamists have taken refuge, been nurtured, and been allowed to launch regional and global jihad. Yet, with the agreement to form a unity government, the nation has provided an answer to extremism.