The Decline and Fall of Republican Afghanistan
The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 was the result of declining active support for the government, and of waste and inefficiency in aid delivery. Yet, while corrosive, these problems were not in themselves sufficient to have brought about a collapse. To a significant degree, they were the result of early failings in institutional design, reflecting an American inclination to pursue short-term policy approaches that created perverse incentives-thus interfering with the long-term objective of stability. This book exposes the true factors underpinning Kabul's fall. The Afghan Republic came under relentless attack from Taliban insurgents who depended critically on Pakistani support. It also suffered a creeping invasion that put the government on the back foot as the US tried and failed to deal with Pakistan's perfidy. The fatal blow came when bored US leaders naively cut an exit deal with the enemy, fatally compromising the operation of the Afghan army and air force and triggering the final collapse, with top leaders at odds over whether to make a final stand in Kabul. The Afghan Republic did not simply decline and fall. It was betrayed.
1142807019
The Decline and Fall of Republican Afghanistan
The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 was the result of declining active support for the government, and of waste and inefficiency in aid delivery. Yet, while corrosive, these problems were not in themselves sufficient to have brought about a collapse. To a significant degree, they were the result of early failings in institutional design, reflecting an American inclination to pursue short-term policy approaches that created perverse incentives-thus interfering with the long-term objective of stability. This book exposes the true factors underpinning Kabul's fall. The Afghan Republic came under relentless attack from Taliban insurgents who depended critically on Pakistani support. It also suffered a creeping invasion that put the government on the back foot as the US tried and failed to deal with Pakistan's perfidy. The fatal blow came when bored US leaders naively cut an exit deal with the enemy, fatally compromising the operation of the Afghan army and air force and triggering the final collapse, with top leaders at odds over whether to make a final stand in Kabul. The Afghan Republic did not simply decline and fall. It was betrayed.
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The Decline and Fall of Republican Afghanistan

The Decline and Fall of Republican Afghanistan

by Ahmad Shuja Jamal, William Maley
The Decline and Fall of Republican Afghanistan

The Decline and Fall of Republican Afghanistan

by Ahmad Shuja Jamal, William Maley

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Overview

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 was the result of declining active support for the government, and of waste and inefficiency in aid delivery. Yet, while corrosive, these problems were not in themselves sufficient to have brought about a collapse. To a significant degree, they were the result of early failings in institutional design, reflecting an American inclination to pursue short-term policy approaches that created perverse incentives-thus interfering with the long-term objective of stability. This book exposes the true factors underpinning Kabul's fall. The Afghan Republic came under relentless attack from Taliban insurgents who depended critically on Pakistani support. It also suffered a creeping invasion that put the government on the back foot as the US tried and failed to deal with Pakistan's perfidy. The fatal blow came when bored US leaders naively cut an exit deal with the enemy, fatally compromising the operation of the Afghan army and air force and triggering the final collapse, with top leaders at odds over whether to make a final stand in Kabul. The Afghan Republic did not simply decline and fall. It was betrayed.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780197750278
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 04/01/2023
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

Ahmad Shuja Jamal was director-general for international relations on Kabul's National Security Council (2019-21). He was previously a Fulbright scholar (Georgetown University), and worked for Human Rights Watch. William Maley is Emeritus Professor of Diplomacy at Australian National University, and the author of many books on Afghan politics and history.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Map Preface Chapter One: Introduction The post-1978 context The rise of the Republic: December 2001 The fall of the Republic: August 2021 The structure of this book Chapter Two: The problem of political legitimacy Institutional design and political legitimacy Security and legitimacy Corruption and legitimacy Impunity, abuse of power, and legitimacy Presidential elections and legitimacy The weaknesses of the Wolesi Jirga Conclusion: the decline of political legitimacy Chapter Three: Pathologies of aid and development The forms and significance of aid Security sector assistance Provincial Reconstruction Teams Funding the Afghan state Off-budget? funding Management issues Conclusion: the complex effects of aid Chapter Four: Problems of insurgency The character and objectives of the Taliban Pakistan as a source of instability Sanctuaries and their significance Taliban revenue and resources The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces The US and its military activities Civilian casualties and drone strikes Conclusion: the US failure to address the problem of Pakistan Chapter Five: Political leadership The meaning of leadership The skills and requirements of leadership in Afghanistan Forms of leadership in Afghanistan Karzai as a leader Ghani as a leader Conclusion: leadership failings and their implications Chapter Six: Diplomatic disaster Shifts in US diplomatic strategy After Biden's withdrawal announcement Contrasts with the Trump administration Wider implications of the US-Taliban agreement Conclusion: America's shifting goalposts in Afghanistan Chapter Seven: Cascade effects and the unravelling of military power What are cascades? Historical cascades in Afghanistan Ways of averting cascades Ways of precipitating cascades Conclusion: the fatal cascade of 2021 Chapter Eight: The last days of Kabul How the unravelling commenced Planning ahead Military diplomacy Final weeks Final days Conclusion: dynamics of final collapse Chapter Nine: Conclusion Revisiting the 2021 collapse Some final thoughts Afterword: On Betrayal Index
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