In 2006, the U.S. Foreign Policy magazine and the U.S.-based "Fund for Peace" think-tank ranked Afghanistan in 10th place on their "failed state index". The authors said their index was based on "tens of thousands of articles" from various sources that they had gathered over several months in 2005. The score was based on 12 criteria that included: "uneven economic development along group lines", "legacy of vengeance – seeking group grievance", "widespread violation of human rights", "rise of factionalised elites", and "intervention of other states or external actors".
The 2006 Dutch/Australian Offensive began in late April and lasted until July 16. It was one of the largest offensives launched by the coalition in 2006 and resulted in over 300 Taliban fighters killed and the capture of the Chora Valley as well as the Baluchi areas.
May 29: a traffic accident caused by a US military vehicle leads to riots with anti-US and anti-Karzai slogans. According to official estimates and news reports, some 20 people lost their lives in the violence.
June
June 27: A 16-man British special forces team consisting mostly of operators from C squadron SBS and members of the SRR carried out Operation Ilois to capture 4 Taliban leaders in compounds on the outskirts of Sangin at 3am. After capturing them, they were returning to their Land Rover vehicles when the team was ambushed by an estimated 60-70 Taliban fighters whilst returning to their base, starting a firefight: one the UKSF Land Rovers was destroyed by a RPG and one SBS operator was seriously injured, the team took cover in an irrigation ditch and requested assistance whilst holding off against the Taliban force. The Helmand Battle Group had not been informed of the operation until it went wrong; a QRF made up of a platoon of Gurkhas responded but ran into another insurgent ambush. The firefight lasted from 1 to 3 hours until a GurkhaPlatoon fought their way through to them, twice, with close air support from 2 Apaches, a U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt and 2 Harrier GR7s. break contact and return to the closest FOB; 2 of the 4 Taliban leaders were killed in the firefight whilst the other 2 escaped in the chaos. Upon reaching the FOB it was discovered that Captain David Patten, SRR, and Sergeant Paul Bartlett, SBS were missing - one operator was helping wounded out of a vehicle when he was shot and assumed killed, whilst the second operator went missing during the firefight. A company from the Parachute Regiment in an RAF Chinook took off to find them, a pair of Apaches spotted the bodies of the operators and the Paras recovered them. One SBS operator was awarded the Military Cross for his actions in the ambush.
July
July: Battle of Panjwaii between Canadian NATO forces and the Taliban. This battle consists of two phases, one from July–August, and the other September through October 2006.
In November 2006, the U.N. Security Council warned that Afghanistan may become a failed state due to increased Taliban violence, growing illegal drug production, and fragile state institutions. In 2006, Afghanistan was rated 10th on the failed states index, up from 11th in 2005. From 2005 to 2006, the number of suicide attacks, direct fire attacks, and improvised explosive devices all increased. Intelligence documents declassified in 2006 suggested that Al Qaeda, Taliban, Haqqani Network and Hezb-i-Islami sanctuaries had by then increased fourfold in Afghanistan. The campaign in Afghanistan successfully unseated the Taliban from power, but has been significantly less successful at achieving the primary policy goal of ensuring that Al-Qaeda can no longer operate in Afghanistan.
