Transition in Afghanistan ─ Hope, Despair and the Limits of Statebuilding

This book, by one of the leading authorities on the subject, presents a deep analysis of the very difficult current situation in Afghanistan. Covering a wide range of important subjects including state-building, democracy, war, the rule of law and international relations, the book draws out two overarching key factors: the way in which the prevailing neopatrimonial political order, rooted in an earlier period of “state-free” politics, has become entrenched, making it very difficult for any other political order to develop; and the hostile region in which Afghanistan is located, especially the way in which an ongoing “creeping invasion” from Pakistani territory has compromised the aspirations of both the Afghan government and its international backers to move the country to a more stable position.

William Maley is Professor of Diplomacy, Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy, The Australian National University