DOCSLIB.ORG

By PETER D.S. LYON a Thesis Submitted to the Faculty Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
By PETER D.S. LYON a Thesis Submitted to the Faculty Of A SOLUTION FOR ETHNIC CONFLICT: DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN AFGHANISTAN, A CASE STUDY By PETER D.S. LYON A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Department of Political Studies, Faculty of Arts University of Manitoba August, 2006 ABSTRACT This thesis considers Michael Ignatieff’s theory regarding ethnic conflict and applies Afghanistan as a case study. Ignatieff correlates the outbreak of ethnic violence to the breakdown of state government which creates societal anarchy and war. Ignatieff argues that ethnic relations can improve through the creation of democratic institutions. Afghanistan represents a model empirical case study to explore the central tenets of the Ignatieff thesis. Ignatieff’s argument is critically analyzed by assessing the viability of transplanting democratic institutions into Afghanistan. According to democratic theory a successful democracy requires a strong economy, a vibrant civil society, an advantageous institutional history and a positive security and geopolitical environment. Based on these five key variables it is reasonable to conclude that Afghanistan is not predisposed to pluralistic governance. Such analysis highlights the limitations of Ignatieff’s thesis as his theory is only relevant to those post-conflict societies that possess the requisite preconditions for democracy. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation to my advisor, Professor James Fergusson, for his support and encouragement throughout my Master’s degree. He truly made all the difference for me. Many thanks are also due to Dr. Lasha Tchantouridze for his willingness to discuss ideas and key theoretical concepts. Lasha was of great assistance due to his knowledge of Afghanistan and Central Asia. I would also like to note the helpfulness and support provided by Cathy Dunlop, Shirley McFaren, Linda Latour, and Pat Kruchak. Collectively, they ensured that deadlines were met and that all appropriate forms were completed. Thank you all. In addition I would also like to thank my family and friends for their patience and commitment to me throughout this process. In particular, my wife Alexandra’s unwavering support enabled the completion of this thesis. Thank you. ii DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis to my wife, Alexandra Wright, and to my son, Fraser Lyon. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii DEDICATION iii CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND AND THEORY 1 Introduction 1 Background and Definitions 2 Ignatieff’s Theory of Ethnic Conflict 12 Western Liberal Political Philosophy 24 Theory of Pre-Conditions for Democracy 32 Civil Society as a Democratic Precondition 35 Socio-Economic Development as a Democratic Precondition 43 Institutional History, Political Culture and Democracy 53 Types of States 56 CHAPTER TWO AFGHANISTAN: 500 B.C. TO 1929 64 Introduction 64 Afghanistan’s Early History: Invasions by Neighbouring Empires 65 The Ascendancy of the Durrani Empire and the Birth of the Afghan Nation 74 The Reign of Dost Mohammad 83 iv The First Anglo-Afghan War 89 The Return of Dost Mohammad 92 The Second Anglo-Afghan War 95 Abdur Rahman Khan 98 Habibullah Khan 108 Amanullah Khan 113 CHAPTER THREE AFGHANISTAN: 1929 - THE POST-TALIBAN PERIOD 126 Introduction 126 The Fall of Bacha-I-Saqao and the Rise of Nadir Khan 126 Zahir Shah and the Musahiban Brothers 128 Sarder Daoud Khan (1953-1963) 129 King Zahir Shah (1963-1973) 135 The Daoud Republic (1973-1978) 140 The Saur Revolution (1978-1979) 141 The Soviet Union’s Invasion of Afghanistan and the Soviet-Afghan War 144 The Soviet-Afghan war 151 The Impact of the Soviet-Afghan War 156 The Afghan Civil War 161 The Rise of the Taliban 165 The Taliban’s Military Campaign 173 The Taliban Regime 175 The Bonn Agreement 191 v CHAPTER FOUR EVALUATING IGNATIEFF’S THEORY IN THE CASE OF AFGHANISTAN: ECONOMICS, EDUCATION, CIVIL SOCIETY AND INSTITUTIONAL HISTORY 194 Introduction 194 Economics 199 Education 218 Civil Society 221 Afghanistan’s Institutional History 223 CHAPTER FIVE EVALUATING IGNATIEFF’S THEORY IN THE CASE OF AFGHANISTAN: SECURITY AND GEOPOLITICS 253 Security 253 International Security Forces and the Afghan Insurgency 277 Geopolitics 289 CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION 301 REFERENCES 311 vi CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND AND THEORY Introduction This thesis considers Michael Ignatieff’s theory regarding ethnic conflict and applies Afghanistan as a case study. This thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter One begins with a brief background on the centrality of ethnic conflict to international affairs today and offers an overview of the key theoretical definitions central to this topic. It continues with an outline of Ignatieff’s thesis regarding the origins of ethnic conflict as well as his prescriptions for its resolution. In short, Ignatieff credits the emergence of ethnic conflict to the collapse of the domestic government structure and conversely cites the building of liberal democratic political institutions as the remedy for ethnic strife. If the establishment of democratic institutions constitutes the solution for ethnic conflict it is thus necessary to explore democratic theory in order to understand the conditions that presage pluralistic governance. Consequently, this chapter devotes considerable attention to the necessary preconditions for democratic rule and concludes with a discussion regarding the relationship between institutions, political culture and democracy. Based on the theoretical perspectives in Chapter One this thesis applies Afghanistan as a case study. Afghanistan represents an ideal model to assess Ignatieff’s theory of ethnic conflict. Afghanistan has experienced ethnic war, the collapse of its state institutions and is currently undergoing a reconstruction process centred on establishment of liberal democratic model of governance. Consequently, as a means to analyze 1 Ignatieff’s thesis, it is essential to consider the viability of transplanting democratic state institutions to Afghanistan. In order to assess Afghanistan’s proclivity for liberal democracy it is vital to examine the history of Afghanistan. Consequently, Chapters Two and Three are devoted exclusively to the political, economic and social history of Afghanistan. Chapter Four and Five identifies five key variables that directly affect the success of nation building efforts in Afghanistan. These include the nature of the economy, civil society, the country’s institutional history and the security and geopolitical environment. Based on an analysis of these five key preconditions for democratic governance, this chapter assesses the viability or likelihood of sustainable democracy in Afghanistan. The outcome of this analysis is commensurate to a critical assessment of Ignatieff’s thesis regarding ethnic conflict. Indeed, for Ignatieff’s theory to attain credible status, democracy must be a viable proposition for post conflict societies. Chapter Six is the concluding chapter which summarizes and evaluates the findings in this thesis. Background and Definitions Since the end of the Cold War, the world has witnessed a considerable rise in internal violence. Brown characterizes internal conflict “as the most pervasive form of armed conflict in the world” (1996: i). For instance, from 1950 –1959, there were 42 internal conflicts compared with 246 in 1990 – 1999 (Eberwein, 2001: 9). Between 1990 and 1996, out of a total of 98 armed global armed conflicts, only seven were between states, and the rest were internal (Von Hippel, 2000: 3). Brown defines internal conflict as “violent or potentially violent disputes whose origins can be traced primarily to 2 domestic rather than systemic factors, and where armed violence takes place or threatens to take place primarily within the borders of a single state” ( 1996:i). The human costs of these conflicts are profound resulting in up to 7 million deaths and almost 38 million displaced persons (Lake & Rothchild, 1998). A prominent feature endemic to many of these conflicts is a division between the antagonists along ethnic lines. Kaufman defines ethnic war as a war spawned from a contest for political power involving “ethnic markers such as language or religion or the status of ethnic groups themselves” (2001:17). Ethnic conflict constitutes an important subgroup of internal wars for a multitude of reasons that include its ubiquity, the scale and intensity of violence, its impact on regional stability, its propensity to involve external powers and international organizations and its centrality in theoretical and policy debates (Brown, 1996). As Lake and Rothchild conclude, “at the close of the twentieth century, ethnic and other social conflicts are without a doubt the world’s greatest cause of human suffering” (1998: 339). In response to the ascendancy of ethnic conflict, scholars and journalists have developed theoretical explanations devoted to uncovering the source of this violence1. 1This multiplicity of theories can be broken down into three main subgroups: primordialism, instrumentalism and constructivism (Lake & Rothchild, 1998). First, primordialists argue that ethnic difference in and of itself constitutes the necessary and sufficient precondition for conflict. Primordialists believe that through genetic inheritance or the power of cultural socialization involving “centuries of past practice,” individuals and groups acquire an unchangeable ethnic identity and become singularly attached to their “primordial group” (Lake & Rothchild, 1998: 5). Geetz comments
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A4 Z 43: Tfde`Uj Ez]] 2Fx #'
    + , : 5% )! ; ! ; ; ,-., /012 .0.01 -.)/' .)%2 % ' +>1137 35"/6.*4116"</ **9"+B3 5161>+B3/4 96/%"196>9"3*4". +/..>%/3 '76"'76"3../.= .>% ."3+6."%>. +6"357".6 9".+1/3"."337 56."5>3 6C5."9"5<D"C4"5" 1 + *+#??,,) --@ A"* " $ &3&4/56 /13 % & R !" 34516 tested the demand for five-day custodial interrogation of ormer Finance and Home Chidambaram. FMinister P Chidambaram Solicitor General (SG) will spend at least four days in Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI custody. A Delhi court the CBI, told the court that the on Thursday allowed the CBI agency was not extorting con- plea for custodial interrogation fession but it has the right to of Chidambaram in the INX reach the root of the case. Media corruption case till Besides Sibal, senior advo- August 26. The agency had cate Abhishek M Singhvi # 34516 sought a five-day remand to appeared for Chidambaram unearth the larger conspiracy and opposed CBI’s plea saying n a desperate move to stoke in the case. that the former Union Minister Iviolence in Jammu & Special Judge Ajay Kumar was not a flight risk. Singhvi Kashmir after the abrogation of Kuhar asked the CBI to con- said that the entire CBI case its special status under Article duct medical examination on was based on the statement of 370 and to internationalise the Chidambaram as per the rules. Indrani Mukherjea, who has issue, Pakistan has started The court also allowed the turned approver in the case. recruiting battle-hardened !" # $% family members and lawyers of Chidambaram cannot Afghan and Pashtun fighters to % Chidambaram to meet him answer what the CBI wants to create trouble in the State.
    [Show full text]
  • Conflict in Afghanistan I
    Conflict in Afghanistan I 92 Number 880 December 2010 Volume Volume 92 Number 880 December 2010 Volume 92 Number 880 December 2010 Part 1: Socio-political and humanitarian environment Interview with Dr Sima Samar Chairperson of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission Afghanistan: an historical and geographical appraisal William Maley Dynamic interplay between religion and armed conflict in Afghanistan Ken Guest Transnational Islamic networks Imtiaz Gul Impunity and insurgency: a deadly combination in Afghanistan Norah Niland The right to counsel as a safeguard of justice in Afghanistan: the contribution of the International Legal Foundation Jennifer Smith, Natalie Rea, and Shabir Ahmad Kamawal State-building in Afghanistan: a case showing the limits? Lucy Morgan Edwards The future of Afghanistan: an Afghan responsibility Conflict I in Afghanistan Taiba Rahim Humanitarian debate: Law, policy, action www.icrc.org/eng/review Conflict in Cambridge Journals Online For further information about this journal please go to the journal web site at: ISSN 1816-3831 http://www.journals.cambridge.org/irc Afghanistan I Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Vincent Bernard The Review is printed in English and is Editorial assistant: Michael Siegrist published four times a year, in March, Publication assistant: June, September and December. Claire Franc Abbas Annual selections of articles are also International Review of the Red Cross published on a regional level in Arabic, Aim and scope 19, Avenue de la Paix Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. The International Review of the Red Cross is a periodical CH - 1202 Geneva, Switzerland published by the ICRC. Its aim is to promote reflection on t +41 22 734 60 01 Published in association with humanitarian law, policy and action in armed conflict and f +41 22 733 20 57 Cambridge University Press.
    [Show full text]
  • Which Law Applies to the Afghan Conflict?
    WHICH LAW APPLIES TO THE AFGHAN CONFLICT? By W. Michael Reisman and James Silk* Soviet armed forces have been directly engaged in combat in Afghanistan for more than 8 years.1 The level of international protest, sanctions and media coverage diminished after the initial outcry over the large-scale So- viet intervention in December 1979. With the conclusion in many diplo- matic and professional quarters that the Soviet presence in Afghanistan would be of long duration, the focus of international disapproval shifted from the question whether the Soviet presence in Afghanistan was lawful or not to whether Soviet conduct in Afghanistan was lawful or not: fromjus ad bellum to jus in bello. Access to Afghanistan has been extremely limited, but various individ- uals, commissions and credible international organizations have reported extensive abuses of human rights by Soviet forces there; most of the reports are based largely on refugee testimony.2 While the practices of the Soviet occupation and campaign have emerged with increasing clarity, the ques- tion of which law these practices are to be tested against is still controversial. * W. Michael Reisman is Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld Professor of Jurisprudence, Yale Law School. James Silk expects to receive aJ.D. from Yale University in 1989. The authors gratefully acknowledge the comments and criticism of colleagues on the Board of Editors and of several scholars in Europe. The authors are, of course, solely responsible for the contents. I By the time this article is published, it is possible that the Soviet Union will, at least, have begun to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.
    [Show full text]
  • CAPSTONE 20-1 SWA Field Study Trip Book Part II
    CAPSTONE 20-1 SWA Field Study Trip Book Part II Subject Page Afghanistan ................................................................ CIA Summary ......................................................... 2 CIA World Fact Book .............................................. 3 BBC Country Profile ............................................... 24 Culture Gram .......................................................... 30 Kazakhstan ................................................................ CIA Summary ......................................................... 39 CIA World Fact Book .............................................. 40 BBC Country Profile ............................................... 58 Culture Gram .......................................................... 62 Uzbekistan ................................................................. CIA Summary ......................................................... 67 CIA World Fact Book .............................................. 68 BBC Country Profile ............................................... 86 Culture Gram .......................................................... 89 Tajikistan .................................................................... CIA World Fact Book .............................................. 99 BBC Country Profile ............................................... 117 Culture Gram .......................................................... 121 AFGHANISTAN GOVERNMENT ECONOMY Chief of State Economic Overview President of the Islamic Republic of recovering
    [Show full text]
  • Afghanistan 2005 Parliamentary Elections.Pdf
    THE INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE ADVANCING DEMOCRACY WORLDWIDE AFGHANISTAN PARLIAMENTARY AND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS SEPTEMBER 18, 2005 ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION FINAL REPORT Afghanistan Parliamentary and Provincial Council Elections September 18, 2005 Election Observation Mission Final Report The International Republican Institute 1225 Eye Street, N.W. Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20005 www.iri.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary…….…..…………………………………….. 2 I. Introduction…………………………………………… 5 II. Pre-Election Period…………………………………… 8 A. Electoral System B. Election Administration C. Voter Registration D. Candidate Nomination E. Campaign Finance F. Election Campaign G. Media Access III. Election Day………………………………………….. 10 IV. Counting Process…………………………………….. 11 V. Post-Election Analysis………………………………… 12 VI. Findings and Recommendations…………………….. 14 VII. IRI in Afghanistan……………………………………. 16 IV. Appendix………………………………………………. A. Appendix I: Election Observation Delegation Members and IRI Staff B. Appendix II: IRI’s Preliminary Statement on Afghanistan’s Parliamentary Elections, September 19, 2005 C. Appendix III: Summary of the Afghan Electoral Law 1 Executive Summary The International Republican Institute (IRI) received funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to conduct an election observation mission for Afghanistan’s September 18, 2005 parliamentary and provincial council elections. IRI’s 19- member delegation was led by former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Constance B. Newman and IRI President Lorne W. Craner. IRI observers were accredited through the United Nations and Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) and, in partnership with indigenous observer groups, deployed to 22 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. This was the second election observation mission for IRI in Afghanistan. In 2004, IRI was one of a small number of international nongovernmental organizations (NGO) to monitor the presidential election.
    [Show full text]
  • US Withdrawal: Afghanistan and the “Disposability Dilemma”
    Report US Withdrawal: Afghanistan and the “Disposability Dilemma” Dr. Fatima Al-Smadi * 29 January 2014 Al Jazeera Center for Studies Tel: +974-44663454 [email protected] http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/ [AlJazeera] Abstract Field work in Kabul by the author is the basis for this report examining attitudes of Afghan parties toward American withdrawal and the proposed security pact with the US which has raised considerable controversy in the country. The findings indicate although the Afghan army is in control, military experts believe its ability to confront the Taliban will disappear soon after the withdrawal of international forces. The stability of Afghanistan depends on many factors, foremost of which is building up the army and security institutions, tasks which should be accomplished in the next few years. In the midst of this are demands that any relationship with the US be based on mutual exchange of interests rather than subordination or dependence. This report is the second in a series from the author’s field work in the country. Introduction The most recent National Intelligence Estimate report predicts Afghanistan will “likely descend into chaos quickly if Washington and Kabul don’t sign a security pact that would keep an international military contingent there beyond 2014.” (1) The author observed clear political polarization and fragility of the situation during her field work in the country late 2013, mere months before the scheduled US pull-out. This report examines attitudes and opinions of Afghan parties toward American withdrawal and the security pact as well as the future of Afghanistan based on interviews by the author with a 2 number of officials and political actors in Kabul.
    [Show full text]
  • Geopolitics of Afghanistan Course No: SA653 Total Credits: 3 (Three) Course Teacher: Dr
    Course Title: Geopolitics of Afghanistan Course No: SA653 Total Credits: 3 (Three) Course Teacher: Dr. Ambrish Dhaka INTRODUCTION This course is designed to impart understanding of geopolitics of Afghanistan. The location of Afghanistan has been a source to every U-turn in Afghanistan’s national life. It always had extraneous factors deeply embedded into ethno-political strife taking aback decade’s progress into one backwash. The geographical setting of Afghanistan has had important bearing on its autochthonous ethno-national life that needs be studied under ethnicity and its internal hierarchy. The Imperial period and the Cold War geopolitics had been reckoning example of Afghanistan’s location in World Order. Based on above facets of Afghanistan, an understanding of the region’s geopolitical dynamics can be carved out for the present century with in the most current context. INSTRUCTION METHOD: Lectures, Web-Digital content, Seminars/Tutorials EVALUATION PATTERN: Sessional Work and Semester Examination COURSE CONTENTS 1. Geographical Setting of Afghanistan: location & political frontiers, physiography, climate, natural resources & land use. 2. Afghanistan’s Geopolitical Epochs: Anglo-Afghan Wars & the Concept of Great Game, the Cold War resistance and the post-Cold War Geopolitics. 3. Geopolitical Matrix: Regional players- Iran, Pakistan, China and Central Asia, Global players- Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the US. 4. Geoeconomic evaluation: Oil geoeconomics; Economic-strategic location of Afghanistan vis-à-vis South Asia and Central Asia; Reinventing the Silk Route - the TAGP & TARR routes. 5. India- the extended neighbourhood, Af-Pak and the South Asian regional geopolitics. SELECTED READINGS Amin, Tahir. Afghanistan Crises Implications for Muslim World, Iran and Pakistan, Washington, 1982.
    [Show full text]
  • AT-Jul-19-2018.Pdf
    Eye on the News [email protected] Truthful, Factual and Unbiased Vol:XI Issue No:346 Price: Afs.20 www.afghanistantimes.af www.facebook.com/ afghanistantimes www.twitter.com/ afghanistantimes THURSDAY . JULY 19. 2018 -Saratan 28, 1397 HS AT News Report the incumbent government has nei- ther authority nor capacity to steer KABUL: A number of members peace process. And the people no A bundle of ID cards, which are blank except of the Parliament argue that the longer can bear the brunt of vio- government had failed in the peace lence and want peace with the Tal- for ID photographs, have clearly been stamped process, saying that the people can iban termination of war,” she despite the forms being incomplete. no longer bear these deceitful hom- opined. Three days back, the New ilies. Parliamentarians believe that York Times reported that Presi- the government has no control dent Donald Trump had ordered Amid a spate of accusations by Sayed Ahmad, said: “The central over the peace dialogue, because his diplomats to seek direct talks politicians and political figures of government must take serious ac- of which people’s trust on gov- with the Taliban. Although the gov- voter registration fraud, TOLOne- tion and not let people interfere in ernment’s ability is fading steadi- ernment is sanguine about this ws has received footage that ap- the election commission and ID ly. MP Shekiba Hashemi during the breakthrough, lawmakers are cast- pears to question the issue of ID card distribution. Specific candi- parliament’s Wednesday session ing doubts about it. cards in Paktia province and dates and local officials are in- extoled Washington’s inclination Expectations and hopes over whether many are “fake”.
    [Show full text]
  • Jagan's Strong Warning to YSRCP Leaders PNS N VIJAYAWADA
    Follow us on: RNI No. APENG/2018/764698 @TheDailyPioneer facebook.com/dailypioneer Established 1864 Published From OPINION 6 CELEB TALKS 10 SPORTS 12 VIJAYAWADA DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL MILESTONES MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROADWAY INDIA WIN RAIPUR CHANDIGARH BHUBANESWAR IN EDUCATION MUSICAL GETS NEW TITLE TO GO 1-0 UP RANCHI DEHRADUN HYDERABAD *Late City Vol. 1 Issue 342 VIJAYAWADA, MONDAY OCTOBER 7, 2019; PAGES 12 `3 *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable FILM WITH VISHNU IS A SATIRICAL COMEDY: HASITH GOLI { Page 11 } www.dailypioneer.com YSRCP MLA Doctor, nurse held Kotamreddy arrest? Jagan's released on station bail for dumping newborn PNS n VIJAYAWADA PNS n VIJAYAWADA strong warning to YSRCP leaders The doctor, Nellore Rural YSRCP MLA A doctor and an ANM were who was on duty PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM particular about maintain- Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy arrested on Saturday, days in the delivery ing transparency in adminis- was arrested on Sunday and after the death of a newborn, In a shot in the arm to the tration. He has been reiterat- released on station bail. He as they allegedly dumped it room when the CJ of AP HC YSRCP government in the ing his stand at all public plat- was taken into custody near a temple after it was unwed mother State, Chief Minister YS forms that his government based on a complaint abandoned by unwed mother gave birth, is to be sworn-in Jaganmohan Reddy's asser- will not tolerate corruption of lodged by at a nursing home in tion that he would not spare highhandedness by anyone, MPDO Machilipatnam causing its absconding, anyone, including those in including his party leaders.
    [Show full text]
  • Security Force Assistance in Afghanistan Identifying Lessons for Future Efforts
    CHILDREN AND FAMILIES The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that EDUCATION AND THE ARTS helps improve policy and decisionmaking through ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT research and analysis. HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE This electronic document was made available from INFRASTRUCTURE AND www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND TRANSPORTATION Corporation. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS LAW AND BUSINESS NATIONAL SECURITY Skip all front matter: Jump to Page 16 POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Support RAND Purchase this document TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY Browse Reports & Bookstore Make a charitable contribution For More Information Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore the RAND Arroyo Center View document details Limited Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND electronic documents to a non-RAND website is prohibited. RAND electronic documents are protected under copyright law. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. This product is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. Security Force Assistance in Afghanistan Identifying Lessons for Future Efforts Terrence K. Kelly, Nora Bensahel, Olga Oliker ARROYO CENTER The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Army under Contract No.
    [Show full text]
  • Warsi 4171.Pdf
    Warsi, Sahil K. (2015) Being and belonging in Delhi: Afghan individuals and communities in a global city. PhD thesis. SOAS University of London. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/22782/ Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this thesis, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", name of the School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination. Being and Belonging in Delhi: Afghan Individuals and Communities in a Global City Sahil K. Warsi Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD 2015 Department of Anthropology and Sociology SOAS, University of London 1 Declaration for SOAS PhD thesis I have read and understood regulation 17.9 of the Regulations for students of the SOAS, University of London concerning plagiarism. I undertake that all the material presented for examination is my own work and has not been written for me, in whole or in part, by any other person. I also undertake that any quotation or paraphrase from the published or unpublished work of another person has been duly acknowledged in the work which I present for examination.
    [Show full text]
  • Afghanistan: Opportunity in Crisis Series No
    Briefing Noah Coburn Asia Programme | March 2015 | Afghanistan: Opportunity in Crisis Series No. 8 Afghanistan: The 2014 Vote and the Troubled Future of Elections Summary • The September 2014 power-sharing agreement for the management of future votes, including between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah upcoming parliamentary elections. only partially resolved the political crisis that • The 2014 crisis has created opportunities for followed Afghanistan’s disputed presidential reform, in part by disrupting a political system elections. The compromise of Ghani’s reliant on patronage. Popular dissatisfaction inauguration as president and Abdullah’s with the status quo could create space for appointment to the new role of chief executive devolution of some powers to local levels. officer ended a stand-off that had threatened a The crisis has also potentially provided the political collapse, but in-fighting has continued to United Nations with a more central role in impede the day-to-day functions of government. supporting democratization. • The post-election crisis, and the extra- • Obstacles to reform include the timing of constitutional negotiations it generated, parliamentary polls in 2015 and the weakness highlighted the weakness of the legal of the electoral agencies that oversaw the framework, which was unable to provide an 2014 transition. effective, transparent transfer of power. • A commitment to transparent elections by the • A timely assessment of the flawed 2014 Afghan government, the ruling elite and the transition is needed if stakeholders are to international community is imperative. Failure address the concerns arising from it and to undertake reform will undermine the notion prevent further damage to democratic of democratic elections for the Afghan public.
    [Show full text]