Lexington Books
Pages: 238
Trim: 6 x 9
978-0-7391-0956-4 • Hardback • March 2008 • $108.00 • (£83.00)
978-0-7391-3701-7 • Paperback • April 2009 • $46.99 • (£36.00)
978-0-7391-3702-4 • eBook • March 2008 • $44.50 • (£34.00)
Rasul Bakhsh Rais is professor of political science at Lahore University of Management Sciences in Lahore, Pakistan.
Chapter 1 Table of Contents
Chapter 2 1 Introduction
Chapter 3 2 Ethnicity, Political Power, and Fragmentation
Chapter 4 3 Rise of the Taliban and Civil War
Chapter 5 4 The United States and War on Terrorism
Chapter 6 5 Restructuring the Afghan State
Chapter 7 6 Political Economy of Drugs and Warlordism
Chapter 8 7 Afghanistan and Neighboring States
Chapter 9 8 Conclusion
Chapter 10 Bibliography
Rasul Rais has written a thorough, complex analysis of the key issues that continue to torment Afghanistan. His recurring argument, one not often made so directly or clearly, is that too frequently the Taliban have been narrowly analyzed as a religious movement 'in the image of extremist Islamic political movements,' missing the fact that they have emerged from, and represent, Pashtun ethnic and political interests. Comparing today's conflict with the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan, Rais argues that the 'present Taliban force is built around Afghan nationalism and its driving force is Pashtun ethnicity more than it was before the American war.' This study covers a full range of sources and offers experienced insight into the continued instability in Afghanistan.
— Robert Nichols, associate professor of history, Richard Stockton College
This is a very important and timely book. The volume is magisterial in scope; by far the best recent work to appear dealing with Afghan society, ethnicity and the effects of the US- led occupation. In particular, the chapter Ethnicity, Political Power, and Fragmentation is the clearest and most accessible treatment of the role of ethnonationalism in Afghanistan and the treatment of the rise of the Taliban is groundbreaking, offering far more nuanced views than earlier explanations. The volume is a must-read for South and Central asianists and those interested in US foreign policy...
— Charles Kennedy, professor of political science, Wake Forest University
Rasul Bakhsh Rais has written a historically informed, highly readable critical account of efforts by the U.S. and other world powers to stabilize Afghanistan and integrate into the international system since September 11. He draws on decades of research and writing on that country, as well as Pakistan, his own country, whose fate is so closely tied to that of his neighbor. Everyone interested in Afghanistan should buy this book.
— Barnett R. Rubin, director of studies and senior fellow, Center on International Cooperation, New York University
This well-researched and lucidly written book examines the effect of the recent wars in Afghanistan on the country's ethnic mosaic, state institutions, and capacity to function as a sovereign state. Rais provides an informative anaylsis of Afghanistan's intra- and interethnic relations. . . . Highly recommended.
— CHOICE, October 2008
A sweeping survey of the Afghan political landscape is given perspective by a thoughtful study of the challenges to the state, the significance of ethnicity, and failures in post-conflict reconstruction. The book details the missed opportunities in US and Western policies to stabilize the country and remove the sources of global terrorism. The narrative offers a sober reminder of how the world cannot afford to allow history to repeat itself in Afghanistan.
— Marvin G. Weinbaum, Scholar-in-Residence, Middle East Institute, and former State Department analyst for Pakistan
This is a very important and timely book. The volume is magisterial in scope; by far the best recent work to appear dealing with Afghan society, ethnicity and the effects of the US- led occupation. In particular, the chapter "Ethnicity, Political Power, and Fragmentation" is the clearest and most accessible treatment of the role of ethnonationalism in Afghanistan and the treatment of the rise of the Taliban is groundbreaking, offering far more nuanced views than earlier explanations.The volume is a must-read for South and Central asianists and those interested in US foreign policy.
— Charles Kennedy, professor of political science, Wake Forest University