Publication

This paper argues that the war in Afghanistan is essentially a war of perceptions on progress made thus far. A decade after the military intervention that dislodged the Taliban-Al Qaeda combine, there is still no consensus in Western capitals on what constitutes the 'end-state' in Afghanistan. The Western public's frustration with a long-drawn war has coalesced with factors such as the global economic slowdown and the Euro crisis. According to the author, a widening gap in perceptions between the Afghans and the international community is bound to complicate the transition and long term stabilization process.