ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a historical perspective on the evolution of neutrality in Afghanistan's foreign policy. It overviews the concept of neutrality within the discipline of international relations (IR) to gain a structured understanding of the nature and scope of Afghanistan's neutrality. The chapter then investigates neutrality's place in Afghanistan's foreign and security policies and explores the dynamics of recent discourse on the possible neutralisation of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a classic case in the study of buffer systems in international politics. The term 'buffer state' was first used in 1883 by British India officials in reference to Afghanistan. Ludwig Adamec, a prominent diplomatic historian, in his Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan, refers to the period from 1880 to 1919 as 'the period of defensive isolationism and buffer-state politics'. Prime Minister Daoud (1953-1963) quickly embarked upon a reform and modernisation drive which according to Saikal pivoted on interrelated policy goals.
