Publication

This paper describes the difficult process of political stabilization in Afghanistan. The author explains that while the Taliban and al-Qaida have re-formed in the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistani frontier, the Afghan government has been unable to increase its tenuous domestic legitimacy or tackle the booming drug market. The paper states that greater success in achieving national stability in Afghanistan requires the international military engagement be complemented by a more constructive attitude on the part of Pakistan, economic investments in the Afghan-Pakistani border areas, and general political reforms by the Afghan government.