History of Ethnic Relations in Afghanistan, An Outline Essay

Theoretically, it holds that the United States (US) invaded Afghanistan as a self-defense strategy following the 9/11 attacks. Practically, however, as US foreign policy is about conquest, self-protection and resource-extraction, it seeks strategic dominance of geographical space to sustain its global relevance. The rationality of the US suggests the need to continuously accumulate capital, resources and military proficiency to ensure autonomy. Therefore, a pragmatic reading into the motivation behind the invasion of Afghanistan negates the self-defense theory. Rather, the shifting coordinates of power within central and southern Asia crafted the perfect criteria for US intervention. This work explores the motivations and systemic cover-ups designed by the Bush administration in ordering military troops into Afghanistan in 2001. It will hold that this invasion was not just a War on Terror, but rather a tactic to ensure US prevalence within the region, and henceforth, the rest of the world. Thus, why did the US invade Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is a culture-rich land consisting of many ethnic tribes. The largest of these groups is the Pashtun tribe which constitutes an estimated 40% to 55% of Afghanistan’s total population. The third largest group in the country is the Hazara tribe which comprise between 15% of the population (Barfield 26). Historically, the Hazara people have been largely persecuted by other tribes in Afghanistan. In Martin Ewan’s book, Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics, he writes, “There has in the past been little love lost between [the Hazaras] and other Afghans, who despise them on both religious and racial grounds, while they themselves have a particular hatred

For over 2 centuries, Afghanistan has known virtually no time without war. Beginning around 326 B.C. with the conquests of Alexander the Great, to the Persians, British, Russians and most recently, America and our NATO allies, Afghanistan has been cultivated into the country that it is today through a trial by fire. Regardless of this relentless onslaught of foreign military power, the Afghan people have tirelessly defended their homeland with no outside power ever being able to subdue them completely. Following the withdrawal of the Soviet Union in 1989, the country fell into civil war, torn even further apart by fiercely dedicated tribal warlords. This power vacuum led to the rise of a group called the Taliban. Led by a one eyed man

Afghanistan, a country of several ethnic backgrounds, is in constant struggle of standing united as a nation. The various beliefs, languages, social statuses, and ways of living have created tension among the ethnic groups (“Social Classes”). The Pashtuns and Hazaras are two particular ethnic groups that have clashed throughout history. The differences between the Pashtun and Hazara people created a major conflict with lasting effects on the way in which they live.

Afghanistan has been for years a country struggling with authority issues. These struggles date back to the 16th century of the Mughal Empire and continues with the Taliban today. These historic struggles are responsible of the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of our world. There have been many attempts from other groups to try and “conquer” the land but

Mr. Chandrasekaran's thesis is that the Afghans could have prospered in their own terms and The United States could have achieved its objectives if the United States had taken a long view from the beginning of its involvement in Afghanistan. The U.S. approach was almost entirely short-term in its strategy and tactics. Lack of coordination between the U.S. military and civil departments / agencies rendered the strategy almost ineffective.

The war between Afghanistan and the United States has been one that has lasted longer than any war; the civil war combined with both World War I and World War II do not match the duration the United States currently faces with Afghanistan. With both countries engaging little to no military conflict, the U.S. continues to be on Afghanistan’s territory, securing the country from the rise of militias potentially threatening our counterpart’s sovereignty. Many people have been arguing whether the US should withdraw from Afghanistan and when. Currently, as the U.S. plans to withdraw from the Afghan nation, the issue is not one that pertains to the U.S. and Afghanistan, for they are not the only two involved. American forces had planned to leave the opponent’s nation but fear the security along with the sovereignty of Afghanistan continues to be one that is porous. The initiation of the war was the 9/11 attack and has been lasting for 13 years. However, many people complain about the extreme high cost of the war The United States should withdraw completely from Afghanistan because of the high cost of the war, popular opinion’s support, and very few al-Qaeda members are left.

The modern nation of Afghanistan, as we come to know it today emerged during the eighteenth century. Pashtun tribes in response to the depletion of the Indian and Persian empires within their lands began to band together to form its very own nation, the nation of Afghanistan. “Afghanistan has been a strategic prize for foreign empires for more than two hundred years. The British, Russians the United States have all fought across its inhospitable terrain, in conflicts variously ruthless, misguided, and bloody. This violent history is littered with broken promises and underestimations” (Loyn 1). Many other nations have tried to conquer this rugged region of the world. All of which involved great nations far more superior in weapons and technology than Afghanistan.

igration is when someone moving to another place for many reasons. These reasons include war, the opportunity to find work, economy, natural disasters, or family. One of the most places that's has many immigrants from other places of the world is the United States. The Unites States is one of the most places to have the most immigrants because it is believed that there are more opportunities there. Immigrants risk and not to mention losing their lives trying to immigrate here. Not only this, but also leave their families behind to try and give them a better life than the one they have. The United States has about 41.3 million immigrants, who live and work here. There are about 18.6 million naturalized U.S citizens and as well as 22.1 million non citizens. Out of the 41.3 million immigrants, 11.3 million were unauthorized

In the history of Afghanistan, a state, in order to be deemed as legitimate, had to satisfy three preconditions. Firstly, it had to be a broker between clans, tribes and ethnic groups. Secondly it had to deliver basic security and ensure secure access to public services and infrastructure. Lastly, it had to embody the concept of Afganistan as an independent Islamic territory .

The current instability and political turmoil in the nation of Afghanistan is a result of an attempted mix between an eclectic group of cultures and traditions and an attempted modern western style government. The collective Afghan people consist of hundreds of ethnicities including Pashtuns, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and the Balochs, each with a distinctive cultural identity and belief system. Coupling thousands of years of tradition and belief with modernization and imperialist influence has lead to a war torn and politically unstable nation.

Afghanistan is the largest, though arguably the poorest, state in Central Asia, and while it does not provide much interest to the global markets, it has long been of strategic interest to foreign powers. Indeed, Afghanistan has been invaded repeatedly for the past 2,000 years by forces commanded by Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan as well as contemporary armies like the British, Soviet, and American forces. Throughout this period, Afghanistan has remained somewhat unconquerable, suffering heavy losses but ultimately sending invaders packing. The following essay compares and contrasts the Anglo-Afghan Wars, the Soviet-Afghan Wars, and the American war in Afghanistan to understand that what unites these conflicts is not necessarily imperialism or their failure but their approach to conquering a land that has resisted occupiers throughout time.

Context and Importance of Problem: Afghanistan has experienced political instability and conflict. After the Soviet invasion in 1979, Afghani mujahedeen waged a jihad against the communist government. In 1989, the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan, but the civil war continued until 1996, when the Taliban seized Kabul and introduced fundamentalist Sharia policies. After the September 11 attack on the United States, the U.S. and their NATO allies began bombing Afghanistan. When the Anti-Taliban Northern Alliance forces took Kabul, the Taliban were overthrown (Rubin 63-65). In December 2001, the Bonn Agreement set up a foundation for establishing a democracy in Afghanistan. The agreement sought to set up an interim

The war on terror has affected every American’s life, one way or another. Everyday lives were changed due to the enduring tensions between nations; our lives, as Americans, will never be the same. Changes regarding geopolitical factors in Afghanistan affect the future of, not only, countries in the Middle East, but also the future of the United States and its allies. By understanding these factors and their effect on the particular country and countries around it, we will be able to make the decisions necessary to benefit our nation. Questions arise on the stability of the country without the United States’ influential presence. With increasing distances between the two nations, border and drug tensions with Afghanistan’s neighbors, and natural resources on the line, the complete withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan has dire results.

Afghanistan is by far one country who makes headline news on a daily basis in the United States and around the world. The country is routinely displayed in images of war, bloodshed, and the number of lives that have been lost. Terrorist strongholds can be seen in nearly every aspect of the land, including that of the Taliban. However, the true culture of the land is not a topic that comes up very often. Yet, it is very complex and has spread to regions throughout the world for centuries.