ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part reviews new evidence that the US actually helped to destabilize Afghanistan during the 1970s and contributed to the conditions that led to the 1979 Soviet invasion of that country, which in turn produced the chronic instability that plagues the country. It looks at the People of the Republic of China’s Afghanistan policy, examining how Beijing has crafted its approach to its fractious neighbor, embedding Sino-Afghan relations in the context of the Afghanistan conflict. The part describes external powers’ role in rebuilding Afghanistan. It focuses on the first main area of support and draws on a few subsequent assessments of more recent World Bank support to get a sense of the progress and sustainability of these reforms since 2012. The fluid situation makes it difficult for policymakers to chart a course which could stabilize the turbulent politics of Afghanistan.
