Afghanistan and Its Neighbors after the NATO Withdrawal

Edited by Amin Saikal and Kirill Nourzhanov - Contributions by Shahram Akbarzadeh; Christian Bleuer; Michael Clarke; Reuel R. Hanks; Nargis Kassenova; Emilian Kavalski; Kirill Nourzhanov; Sebastien Peyrouse; Amin Saikal; Nazif Shahrani; Meena Singh Roy; Mahmadyusuf Tashrifov and Aly Zaman

The planned reductions in NATO troop numbers in Afghanistan through 2015 and a final withdrawal at the end of 2016 brings up numerous pressing questions about the security and national interests of not just Afghanistan, but of the broader region itself. The problem of a chaotic Afghanistan—or of an outright Taliban victory—is of great concern to not only immediate neighbors such as Iran, Pakistan, and the former Soviet Central Asian republics to the north, but also to those countries in the region with Afghanistan-related security or economic concerns, such as China and India. Further abroad, Russian, American and European interests and plans for dealing with the fallout from Afghanistan must also be taken into account as these major powers have enduring interests in Afghanistan and the region. This volume puts the prospects for short- and mid-term security dynamics at the core of the analysis, with each case being placed in its proper contemporary historical, economic, and political context. The book will offer a truly comprehensive, nuanced, and timely account of the security situation in and around Afghanistan.

Lexington Books

Pages: 240 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-4985-2912-9 • Hardback • March 2016 • $115.00 • (£88.00)

978-1-4985-2914-3 • Paperback • September 2017 • $55.99 • (£43.00)

978-1-4985-2913-6 • eBook • March 2016 • $53.00 • (£41.00)

Series: Contemporary Central Asia: Societies, Politics, and Cultures

Subjects: History / Asia / India & South Asia, Political Science / International Relations / General

Afghanistan and Its Neighbors after the NATO Withdrawal

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

The planned reductions in NATO troop numbers in Afghanistan through 2015 and a final withdrawal at the end of 2016 brings up numerous pressing questions about the security and national interests of not just Afghanistan, but of the broader region itself. The problem of a chaotic Afghanistan—or of an outright Taliban victory—is of great concern to not only immediate neighbors such as Iran, Pakistan, and the former Soviet Central Asian republics to the north, but also to those countries in the region with Afghanistan-related security or economic concerns, such as China and India. Further abroad, Russian, American and European interests and plans for dealing with the fallout from Afghanistan must also be taken into account as these major powers have enduring interests in Afghanistan and the region. This volume puts the prospects for short- and mid-term security dynamics at the core of the analysis, with each case being placed in its proper contemporary historical, economic, and political context. The book will offer a truly comprehensive, nuanced, and timely account of the security situation in and around Afghanistan.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 240 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-4985-2912-9 • Hardback • March 2016 • $115.00 • (£88.00)

978-1-4985-2914-3 • Paperback • September 2017 • $55.99 • (£43.00)

978-1-4985-2913-6 • eBook • March 2016 • $53.00 • (£41.00)

Series: Contemporary Central Asia: Societies, Politics, and Cultures

Subjects: History / Asia / India & South Asia, Political Science / International Relations / General

Author

Amin Saikal is professor and director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (Middle East and Central Asia) at the Australian National University.

Kirill Nourzhanov is senior lecturer at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (Middle East and Central Asia) at the Australian National University.

Table of Contents

Introduction, Amin Saikal and Kirill Nourzhanov
Part I: Afghanistan in the post-Taliban Era: The Politics and Geopolitics of Survival
Chapter 1: Afghanistan: A Geopolitical Paradox, Amin Saikal
Chapter 2: US Policies and Practices towards Afghanistan and Central Asia since 2001, M. Nazif Shahrani
Part II: Traditional Regional Players: Iran, Pakistan, and India
Chapter 3: A New Phase in Relations between Iran and Afghanistan, Shahram Akbarzadeh
Chapter 4: Beyond Strategic Depth? Pakistan’s Evolving Relationship with Afghanistan, Aly Zaman
Chapter 5: “New Regionalism” and Afghanistan: The Role of India, Meena Singh Roy
Part III: Afghanistan as Viewed from Central Asia
Chapter 6: Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Desecuritization, and Regional Security, Reuel R. Hanks
Chapter 7: Kazakhstan’s Policy toward Afghanistan: Context, Drivers, and Outcomes, Nargis Kassenova
Chapter 8: Political and Economic Pragmatism: Turkmenistan and Afghanistan since 1991, Sebastien Peyrouse
Chapter 9: Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan’s Diminishing Relationship, Christian Bleuer
Chapter 10: Central Asian Security after 2014: The Case of Tajikistan, Mahmadyusuf Tashrifov
Part IV: Afghanistan and Central Asia in a Wider International Context
Chapter 11: Russia’s Afghanistan Policy after 2014: Staying at an Arm’s Length and Preparing for the Worst, Kirill Nourzhanov
Chapter 12: China in Afghanistan: Navigating a “Terrain of Hazards” in Search of Geopolitical Opportunity?, Michael Clarke
Chapter 13: The European Union in the Heartland: A Normative Power Looking for a Strategy in Central Eurasia, Emilian Kavalski
Conclusion, Amin Saikal and Kirill Nourzhanov

Reviews

The volume is a good source for the study of the geopolitics of Eurasia in general as well as Afghanistan in particular. The individual chapters can also serve as independent reference points for future research into related topics. This volume is an invaluable addition to the existing discussion on the geopolitics of Eurasia.
— Europe-Asia Studies

Afghanistan and Its Neighbors after the NATO Withdrawal is a timely and useful book that provides several keys to better understand the regional stakes in Afghanistan. Few studies provide such exhaustive coverage of Afghanistan's neighborhood. If some of the country’s neighbors have generated an abundant literature, others—notably on its western border—are virtually unknown. The essays related to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, for example, are truly original. The volume will undoubtedly help experts map the future of the Afghanistan, but it is also a must read for everybody truly interested in Afghanistan and the region.
— Frederic Grare, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Afghanistan and Its Neighbors after the NATO Withdrawal is a timely guide to the complex regional environment that will shape Afghanistan’s future. Drawing on a wealth of scholarly expertise, this valuable book refocuses attention on why Afghanistan and the surrounding region matters to global politics.
— Robert Crews, Stanford University