ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the civilian efforts, including the comprehensive approach. Civilian efforts have often been understood as a bulwark against the legitimacy of the Taliban, as civilian assistance is typically associated with the needs of the civilian population. We have therefore highlighted the challenges related to this, as they are intertwined with the evolution of the legitimacy of the Taliban over the 20 years. The chapter shows that most of the economic aid was provided outside the Afghan central government, with private companies used as subcontractors for development and security related to this aid. The national reservations of the contributing countries and their specific development policy objectives meant that the civilian efforts remained fragmented, short-term and uncoordinated. The chapter highlights the paradoxical development whereby large segments of the civilian effort operated counter to the intended purpose: Rather than enhancing capacity, they contributed to the perception that the weak Afghan government was even less legitimate. The most significant challenge for the civilian efforts, including the comprehensive approach, was the ongoing need for security.
