Afghanistan why important

This is partially the result of a fundamental lack of trust between the parties following years of brutal fighting and shifting alliances, but it also seems to be a deep-seated conviction that permeates Afghan politics.

Even more fundamental, however, is the problem that the Afghan state apparatus has eroded to such an extent that there is little power to share. Power in present-day Afghanistan is primarily military, and it is vested in the individual parties, whose leaders may in turn have a strong interest in instability, with its ample opportunities for profit within the war economy.

To give up that power in order to have a share of a power that does not exist is hardly a tempting proposition, particularly in a situation where recent history has instilled a deeply felt mistrust among all parties. At the same time, all major parties to the conflict suffer from legitimacy problems.

Hence, the key vulnerability of any power-sharing arrangement is that, if representation is primarily a reflection of military strength, any such arrangement is likely to erode from within. Current pledges of support to the armed factions, whether military or humanitarian, may therefore soon prove counterproductive. There are also challenges at the regional level. These countries have widely different interests related to the conflict in the country, and they have pursued widely different political strategies.

The Afghan conflict has significant internal implications for all these neighboring countries, although the implications are clearly the gravest for Pakistan. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have both been affected by spillover effects from the Afghan conflict, which Russia uses as its prime argument for maintaining a key role in regional security arrangements.

Tajikistan has been particularly important, hosting an air base that supplies the Northern Alliance. Both Turkmenistan and China have, for different reasons, cultivated political and economic relations with the Taliban.

Consequently, the regional picture is complex, and the agendas of neighboring countries are often closely intertwined with the problems they may have with their neighbors, as reflected by the importance for the Pakistani position of the conflict with India, or the role of Russia for the policies pursued by the Central Asian republics. Ultimately, a stable Afghanistan is in the best interests of all, but establishing the confidence necessary to break the spiral is no easy task.

Fundamentally, however, a solution to the Afghan problem must build on the positive commitment of neighboring states. That can only succeed if they all agree to place a settlement in Afghanistan at the top of their foreign policy agendas.

This may also be the time to discuss a more formal regional security body for the neighbors of Afghanistan. Stabilizing Afghanistan can only succeed if based on a long-term regional commitment. A possible new approach to assisting the reconstruction of Afghanistan has been formulated over the past few months. In Afghanistan, the exclusive emphasis on life-sustaining aid has been reinforced as relations between the Taliban and the international community have withered.

It has now been suggested that peacebuilding and large-scale assistance must go in tandem, using assistance to prepare the ground for peace. The bottleneck for large-scale reconstruction, however, is on the implementing side: for such an effort to be effective, it must move away from air-drop approaches to distribution, place existing capacities at the center, and aim at genuine economic and social development. How the Taliban plan to govern Afghanistan remains unclear. Women face an uncertain future.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen says the group will respect the rights of women and minorities "as per Afghan norms and Islamic values".

The militants had declared an amnesty across Afghanistan and said it wanted women to join its government. But there are fears over women's freedom to work, to dress as they choose, or even to leave home alone under Taliban rule. Another major fear is that the country will once again become a training ground for terrorism. Taliban officials insist that they will fully adhere to the US deal and prevent any group from using Afghan soil as a base for attacks against the US and its allies.

They say they aim only to implement an "Islamic government" and will not pose a threat to any other country. But many analysts say the Taliban and al-Qaeda are inseparable, with the latter's fighters heavily embedded and engaged in training activity.

It is also important to remember that the Taliban are not a centralised and unified force. Some leaders may want to keep the West muted by not stirring up trouble but hardliners may be reluctant to break links with al-Qaeda. Just how powerful al-Qaeda is and whether it could now rebuild its global network is also unclear. Its fighter numbers could be only between a few hundred and 2, but it may try to gain footholds in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and parts of Tajikistan, which could be a serious regional concern.

Afghanistan country profile. Afghanistan profile - Timeline. Who are the Taliban? Peace in the shadow of the Taliban? What could peace in Afghanistan look like?

How do the Taliban make money? Why Afghanistan is more dangerous than ever. Uncovering Pakistan's secret human rights abuses. Image source, EPA. Fighting has been going on for 40 years - most Afghans can't remember a time of peace.

Why did the US fight a war in Afghanistan and why did it last so long? Image source, Reuters. The Afghan conflict became America's longest war. The militants slipped away and later regrouped. Twenty years of conflict in Afghanistan — what happened when? Show more. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Find out more on the Afghan conflict What has the conflict cost the US? How costly has the war been?

What could happen next? During the s the Taliban forced women to dress in certain ways and denied them equal rights. Related Topics. Published 8 September. Published 9 September Published 18 August. Published 2 April Published 14 July Published 31 January Published 28 August. Published 14 September Published 2 June