Afghanistan in Transition

The developments in Afghanistan since September 2001 have dramatically changed the security environment in South and South West Asia. The oppressive regime of the Taliban was removed from power as abruptly as it came, in November 2001. Though the war against the Taliban and its ally al-Qaida is still going on, the brave Afghan people have started rebuilding their country brick by brick. For the first time, the international community is pitching in to help the country to return to a civil society. The installation of the Karzai Government in Kabul in December 2001, and its endorsement by a Loya Jirga in June-July 2002, are the first steps on this long journey. The new government faces a number of daunting challenges and uncertainties. The government’s strategy to bring about national reconciliation between the various groups is making painfully slow progress. The Taliban and their sympathizers are still a force to reckon with, and peace and stability will take some time to return to this troubled nation. The majority in the neighbourhood, which has a great stake in the return of peace to Afghanistan, is doing all it can to help the new regime. The present volume is an attempt by a group of specialists, monitoring developments in Afghanistan over the years, to present an indocentric perspective of these developments. The facts they have marshalled, and the analysis they have provided, should be of interest to academics, policy-makers, and the general public.