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The Afghanistan War, 2001–?

James H. Lebovic

in Planning to Fail: The US Wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan

With the September 11, 2001 attack by al-Qaeda terrorists on the World Trade Center, the Bush administration conceded to decisional bias. It committed to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan ... More

With the September 11, 2001 attack by al-Qaeda terrorists on the World Trade Center, the Bush administration conceded to decisional bias. It committed to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan without duly assessing the implications of a Taliban defeat or how it might serve the administration’s “global war on terrorism.” Once engaged, the administration defined the US mission in Afghanistan broadly yet remained detached from harsh realities—including Afghan government corruption and ineptitude, finite alliance resources (in the International Security Assistance Force), and a Taliban resurgence—that hampered the achievement of these goals. The Obama administration capped US involvement in pursuing the limited goal of “reversing” the Taliban’s momentum. Although the administration increased US force levels in Afghanistan, it did so modestly and temporarily and then pursued a troop exit despite the country’s ongoing violence and instability. The administration stuck to its plan, slowing, not reversing, the withdrawal as the country’s security conditions worsened.Less

The Afghans’ and Taliban’s Use of Poetry and Taranas¹

Thomas H. Johnson, Matthew DuPee, and Wali Shaaker

in Taliban Narratives: The Use and Power of Stories in the Afghanistan Conflict

Poetry has long been a central pillar of Afghan Literature and the Taliban have used it extensively in their IO campaign. Poetry is important to the Taliban and Afghans in general because it is ... More

Poetry has long been a central pillar of Afghan Literature and the Taliban have used it extensively in their IO campaign. Poetry is important to the Taliban and Afghans in general because it is essentially a spoken, not written art, so it accessible to the illiterate, especially rural Afghan population. The chapter examines a wide variety of Taliban poetry and also poetry written by those sympathetic to the Taliban. Each poem also includes an explanation of the story associated with it. An analysis of Taliban poetry to those of moderate Afghan poets. The chapter also focuses on 8 or poetic chants that have traditionally played an important role in the communication of local afghans. Numerous chants and their associated stories are examined that often reflect the manipulation by the Taliban of Afghan traditions, narratives, collective memory of events, and culture. These chants focus on themes such as: Taliban victory is inevitable, Islam can never be defeated, the Taliban are national heroes, Afghans have a long history in defeating invading foreign “infidels”, and all Afghans have an obligation to join the jihad to defeat invaders and apostates.Less

Psychological Impacts of War: Human Rights and Mental Health

Nahid Aziz

in Land of the Unconquerable: The Lives of Contemporary Afghan Women

This chapter addresses the tragic degeneration of women's mental health, a consequence of chronic human rights violations. The process of addressing the mental health of the Afghans, particularly ... More

This chapter addresses the tragic degeneration of women's mental health, a consequence of chronic human rights violations. The process of addressing the mental health of the Afghans, particularly women, has been extremely slow. There is a chronic lack of funding to support mental health activities, including the training of competent mental health professionals. The occurrence of mental health problems among Afghan women is linked with chronic and repeated violations of their human rights. The long history of oppression, gender inequality, and violence of Afghan women's is provided. Mental health is explicitly named as a priority by the Afghan government, specifically in the Afghanistan National Development Strategy. It is argued that depression becomes a major part of women's identity as it involves culturally ordained sadness and low self-esteem. The reconstruction efforts in mental health are then given.Less

No Good Taliban?: India’s Taliban Learning Curve

Avinash Paliwal

in My Enemy's Enemy: India in Afghanistan from the Soviet Invasion to the US Withdrawal

An important but little known aspect of India’s Afghanistan policy after 2001 was the slow change in its outlook on the Afghan Taliban. Opening secret channels of communications, some via the Afghan ... More

An important but little known aspect of India’s Afghanistan policy after 2001 was the slow change in its outlook on the Afghan Taliban. Opening secret channels of communications, some via the Afghan government, and others directly, India began to understand, and exploit (to a limited extent), political fissures within a resurgent Afghan Taliban. Having understood that the Afghan Taliban could not be defeated militarily, Indian security planners coldly calculated that reaching out to some Taliban factions would be in India’s long-term interest. The conciliators had charted and implemented this strategy at tactical, operational and strategic levels. The partisans, who knew about these covert channels, could do little to halt them.Less

Afghanistan

in Cutting the Fuse: The Explosion of Global Suicide Terrorism and How to Stop It

This chapter, which explores the origins and goals of the two principal groups responsible for suicide terrorism in Afghanistan—the Taliban and Al Qaeda—reveals that the initiation and trajectory of ... More

This chapter, which explores the origins and goals of the two principal groups responsible for suicide terrorism in Afghanistan—the Taliban and Al Qaeda—reveals that the initiation and trajectory of suicide terrorism in Afghanistan is the direct result of foreign occupation. It explains that many Afghans support suicide attacks as a strategy to end Western military operations and a crisis of confidence in the Afghan central government. The chapter also analyzes Pakistan's close ties to the Taliban and Al Qaeda, which continue to frustrate U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the region.Less

Local and tactical political accommodation: Evidence from Afghanistan

Antonio Giustozzi

in At the End of Military Intervention: Historical, Theoretical and Applied Approaches to Transition, Handover and Withdrawal

The chapter describes local deal-making between the Taliban insurgents and various branches of the Afghan government, including the army, police, security services, civilian officials, but also ... More

The chapter describes local deal-making between the Taliban insurgents and various branches of the Afghan government, including the army, police, security services, civilian officials, but also pro-government militias. Deal-making has been quite widespread since at least 2006, when the Taliban emerged as a major force. In some areas of government, such as education, deal-making has been particularly widespread. The chapter discusses the implications of this deal-making and concludes that it could favour either side, depending on the wider context. Once channels of communication are open, they can be exploited for different purposes. If the current stalemate between government and insurgents were to be broken, these channels of communication could favour a rapid collapse of the weaker side.Less

Centre–Periphery Relations in Afghanistan

Nazif Shahrani

in Local Politics in Afghanistan: A Century of Intervention in the Social Order

This chapter explores the politics of the Afghan government in aiming to establish its political rule throughout the country. It reveals particular techniques of physical violence and subjugation ... More

This chapter explores the politics of the Afghan government in aiming to establish its political rule throughout the country. It reveals particular techniques of physical violence and subjugation that the Afghan government has used to enforce its control over the country, and argues that the trajectories of government rule set by ʻAbd al-Rahman at the end of the nineteenth century continue to guide Kabul politics in the present day. The chapter underlines how the politics of the centre towards the periphery was strongly tinged by a Pashtun nationalism that remains a dominant feature of Afghan politics, and which has frequently led to the repression of ethnic minorities in the country.Less

Local Politics and the Taliban

Antonio Giustozzi

in Local Politics in Afghanistan: A Century of Intervention in the Social Order

This chapter discusses how the Taliban dealt with local politics during the last two decades. It shows how the Taliban gained ground in local politics by a ‘divide et impera’ rule and by using the ... More

This chapter discusses how the Taliban dealt with local politics during the last two decades. It shows how the Taliban gained ground in local politics by a ‘divide et impera’ rule and by using the network of religious representatives (mullahs, mawlawis, etc.) as their political agencies. The chapter argues that in many localities, the current success of the Taliban is due to their strategy of introducing basic forms of security and judiciary rather than imposing a radical social concept. In this respect their approach is quite different from that of the current Afghan government and international organisations, which have aimed to alter society by introducing democracy, gender balance, and good governance, but have failed to provide security.Less