WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan — American soldiers are fighting a war in Afghanistan. But it’s not just against the Taliban.

A U.S. counter-explosives staff sergeant was killed recently trying to defuse a complex homemade bomb planted in the road in this hostile region. But legal and forensics experts had to jump through regulatory hoops set up by their own chain of command just to ensure that the Afghan suspects in the bombing would face prosecution.

Americans fighting shadowy Taliban insurgents embedded within the wary civilian population here put their lives on the line to build up a local police force. But those Afghan police officers frequently release suspected insurgents because of br...

WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan — American soldiers are fighting a war in Afghanistan. But it’s not just against the Taliban.

A U.S. counter-explosives staff sergeant was killed recently trying to defuse a complex homemade bomb planted in the road in this hostile region. But legal and forensics experts had to jump through regulatory hoops set up by their own chain of command just to ensure that the Afghan suspects in the bombing would face prosecution.

Americans fighting shadowy Taliban insurgents embedded within the wary civilian population here put their lives on the line to build up a local police force. But those Afghan police officers frequently release suspected insurgents because of bribes, tribal allegiances or threats of retaliation. And sometimes the police themselves target U.S. soldiers.

A munitions supply officer recently pointed out that because of budget cuts, American bomb technicians are no longer getting a full supply of the C-4 explosives they use to destroy the homemade Taliban bombs.

As public support for the Afghan war, which is in its ninth year, withers back home and President Barack Obama deliberates whether to commit even more U.S. forces to the faltering struggle, morale among American troops is flagging.

Part of the morale struggle, many agree, is the limits imposed by senior commanders on the use of traditional military force in pursuit of Taliban fighters skilled at hiding behind civilians. But even officers practiced in counterinsurgency techniques to weed the bad guys from the good guys and win over Afghan civilians say that the rules — and the message — coming from Washington are disconnected from the situation on the ground.

“The rules of engagement here h...

As public support for the Afghan war, which is in its ninth year, withers back home and President Barack Obama deliberates whether to commit even more U.S. forces to the faltering struggle, morale among American troops is flagging.

Part of the morale struggle, many agree, is the limits imposed by senior commanders on the use of traditional military force in pursuit of Taliban fighters skilled at hiding behind civilians. But even officers practiced in counterinsurgency techniques to weed the bad guys from the good guys and win over Afghan civilians say that the rules — and the message — coming from Washington are disconnected from the situation on the ground.

“The rules of engagement here have been very frustrating,” said Capt. Tammy Lanning. As the intelligence officer for the 4th Battalion, 25th Artillery Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade operating in Wardak, she must fight a daily battle to keep detained bombing suspects from being released back onto the streets.

“Guys back in Washington need to get, I think, a better operational understanding, [of] what goes on here,” she said. “To separate the enemy from the population to make progress will take a really long time, and the administration really needs to understand that.

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