The despotic regime of Al-Afad had made Zekistan a haven for terrorists and Taliban sympathizers. A spectacularly determined effort by a coalition of Western forces brought Al-Afad down. But the exuberance that swept Khardiman after his fall has faded as various insurgencies fight against the Western forces and as long-suppressed ethnic hostilities erupt in violence. The US and their Coalition allies have been forced to continue the conflict in an effort to quell the incipent violence and stabilize the country.