Inside Afghanistan 23 Years after the Soviet Withdrawal

Abstract

Twenty-three years have passed since the Soviet Union withdrew its forces from Afghanistan and, after 11 years of the United States’ (US) military involvement in that country, the war between Afghan insurgent groups and the US-led coalition forces is raging with no side winning. More than 11 years later, Afghanistan remains divided and ethnic tensions are worsening. If the ongoing military, political and economic policies in Afghanistan continue and Pakistan remains a safe haven for Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, the future may soon drastically tilt against the ineffective and corrupt Afghan government and its foreign supporters. This study is mainly based upon 33 years of observations, in-depth interviews with Afghans in their local languages and an extensive study of recent developments inside Afghanistan and its neighboring countries, especially Pakistan and Iran.