Afghanistan 1979-2009 : in the grip of conflict.

“Viewpoints’ special edition”—at head of title.

“The Middle East Institute”—at foot of title.

Includes bibliography (p. 243-351).

Contents: Introduction p. 8—I. Nation and State: Identities Past and Present—Rethinking Afghanistan

by Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould 10 —Post-Buffer Afghanistan: A Nation-State Here to Stay

by Whitney Azoy 14 —Forgotten Futures: History, Memoir, Afghanistan

by Shafiq Shamel 17 —The Intellectual Impact of Colonialism and the Urgency of Decolonizing Knowledge of Afghanistan

by Shah Mahmoud Hanifi 20 —Causes and Consequences of the Destabilization of Afghanistan

by M. Jamil Hanifi 23 —The Death of the Buddhas of Bamiyan

by Pierre Centlivres 26 —What Wrong after Bonn

by Francesc Vendrell 29 —Afghanistan’s “Treaty Bands,” by Bruce G. Richardson 33 —The Invention of the Afghan Nationalities, 1980-2004

by Pierre Centlivres and Micheline Centlivres-Demont 37 —Respecting Afghanistan’s Sovereignty

by Assem Akram 40 —Charting a Course for a Better Future: Responding to the Crimes of the Past

by Niamatullah Ibrahimi 43 —Impunity and Instability: An Unbroken Cycle

by Abdul Jalil Benish 46 ——II. Security: The Interplay of Domestic and External Forces—How the Guests Became an Enemy: Afghan Attitudes towards Westerners Since 2001

by Kate Clark 50 —Post-Soviet Pakistani Interference in Afghanistan: How and Why

by Najib Lafraie 53 —Repeating History: Parallels between Mujahidin Tactics and Afghanistan’s Current Insurgency

by Shahmahmood Miakhel 56 —Via Afghanistan: Regional Influences

by G. Rauf Roashan 61 —Mullah Omar Wants You! Taliban Mobilization Strategies or Motivations for Joining the Insurgency

by Ghulamreza Fazlinaiem and Nick Miszak 64 —Intimidating, Assassinating, and Leading: Two Early Mujahidin Commanders Reflect on Building Resistance Fronts

by Michael Semple 67 —Land Grab in Sherpur: Monuments to Powerlessness, Impunity, and Inaction

by Joanna Nathan 71 —Liberating Afghanistan

by Robert D. Crews 75 —Ending the 30-Year War in Afghanistan

by Nake M. Kamrany 79 —The Army in Afghanistan, from Abdur Rahman to Karzai

by Mark Sedra 83 —Crisis in South Asia

by Robert L. Canfield 87 —Replacing the Strategy of War through Peace

by Aziz Hakimi 90 —III. Politics: At the Center and on the Periphery—Perspectives on Democracy and Democratization in Afghanistan

by Anna Larson 94 —Political Leadership in Post-Taliban Afghanistan: The Critical Factor

by Saghar Chopan and Malaiz Daud 97 —Afghanistan’s Democrats: From Underground to Marginalization

by Thomas Ruttig 102 —Political Legitimacy in Afghanistan

by Thomas Barfield 105 —Afghanistan’s Second Presidential Vote: How to Respond to a Flawed Election

by Martine van Bijlert 108 —The International Community and Afghan Elections: Helping or Hobbling Democratic Development? by Nipa Banerjee 111 —An Island of Stability in Southern Afghanistan

by Casey Johnson 114 —The Peripheralization of the Center: “Warlordism” in Afghanistan

by Conrad Schetter and Rainer Glassner 118 —Legitimacy or Credibility? The Case of the Afghan State

by Shakti Sinha 122 —Electing to Fight in Afghanistan

by Astri Suhrke 125 —IV. Economy and Development: Challenges and Prescriptions—Understanding Informal Institutions in Afghanistan

by Paula Kantor 129 —Afghanistan’s Opium Poppy Economy

by Adam Pain 132 —A Strategic Dispersion: The Remittance System of Afghan Refugees and Migrants

by Alessandro Monsutti 137 —From Sustainable Jobs to Sustainable Peace and Prosperity

by Taymor Kamrany 140 —Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan

by Andrew Wilder 143 —Rebuilding Afghanistan: Practical Measures for Improving the Economy

by F. Faruq Achikzad 147 —V. Society: Perceptions and Potential—Who Guards the Guardians? The Protection of Civilians in Afghanistan

by Susanne Schmeidl 152 —Afghanistan’s Children: The Tragic Victims of 30 Years of War

by M. Siddieq Noorzoy 156 —How Hearts and Minds Were Lost in Afghanistan? A Personal Experience Working with the International Military

by Zabih Farhad 160 —Local Perceptions of Rural Development Programs

by Katja Mielke 163 —Social Change in Eastern Nuristan

by Richard F. Strand 166 —Women’s Agency in Afghanistan: From Survivors to Agents of Change

by Palwasha Hassan 170 —Hamida’s Story: Female Agents of Change

by Orzala Ashraf Nemat 174 —Women’s Prospects in Afghanistan: Oppression or Opportunity? by Carol Riphenburg 178 —The Oppressed Women of Afghanistan: Fact, Fiction, or Distortion

by Tonita Murray 181 —Manly Honor and the Gendered Male in Afghanistan

by Sippi Azarbaijani-Moghaddam 184 —The Emerging Afghan Media: Beyond the Stereotyping of Women? by Wazhma Frogh 188 —Education beyond the School Room

by Nancy Hatch Dupree 191 —Civil Society and Community Mobilization in Afghanistan

by Wazirgul Anis 194 —Maps 197—Statistics 236—Selected Bibliography and Resources 242.