CIAO DATE: 04/2009
March 2009
Seven years after the U.S.-led intervention in Afghanistan the country is still at war against extremists and has developed few resilient institutions. A policy review by the Obama administration has reopened debate about how to defeat the forces of violent global jihadism - al-Qaeda and its Taliban protectors - in Afghanistan and in neighbouring Pakistan. In most cases, the ideas on offer - from declaring victory and pulling out, to negotiating with the insurgents, to organising regional conferences, to prioritising relationships with favoured individuals and allies over the development of strong democratic institutions - have been tried at least once in the past two decades, with no success: we know now what not to do.
Resource link: Afghanistan: New U.S. Administration, New Directions [PDF] - 1.4M