When more is less : the international project in Afghanistan / Astri Suhrke.

“Includes bibliography”—(p. 269-284).

Contents: Preface and acknowledgements—1. Introduction : the liberal project—2. The point of entry : a light footprint—3. American boots on the ground—4. Providing security assistance—5. Building the state—6. Designing a democratic transition—7. Reforming the legal system—8. Conclusions : scaling down—Notes—Bibliography—Index.

Summary: “The western-led efforts to establish a new post-Taliban order in Afghanistan are in serious trouble, and in this book Astri Suhrke sets out to explain why. She begins with the dynamic of the intervention and its related peace-building mission. What were the forces shaping this grand international project? What explains the apparent systematic bias towards a deeper and broader international involvement? Many reasons have been cited for its limited achievements and ever-growing difficulties, the most common explanation being that the national, regional, and international contexts were unfavorable. But many policies were misguided, while the multinational operation itself was extraordinarily and unnecessarily complex. The main thesis of “When More is less” is that the international project itself contains serious tensions and contradictions that significantly contributed to the lack of progress. As a result, the deepening involvement proved dysfunctional: massive international support has created an extreme version of a rentier state that is predictably weak, corrupt and unaccountable”.