Publication

This paper examines the challenges facing the Afghan National Army (ANA), following the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan. The author contends that on the one hand, the ANA is enjoying a higher than ever level of popular support and that independent assessments of the ANA suggest that it has reached a high level of efficiency in combating the insurgency in the country. However, she also argues that the unstable political situation in the country, the potential for the loss of financial support from international donors on which the ANA relies, and the re-emergence of militias that act as a parallel security force may result in the progressive disintegration of the ANA.