Afghanistan and Its Neighbors after the NATO Withdrawal

Contributions by Shahram Akbarzadeh, Christian Bleuer, Michael Clarke, Reuel R. Hanks, Nargis Kassenova, Emilian Kavalski, Kirill Nourzhanov, Sebastien Peyrouse, Amin Saikal, Nazif Shahrani, Meena Singh Roy, Mahmadyusuf Tashrifov, Aly Zaman Edited by Amin Saikal, Kirill Nourzhanov

Not available to order

Publication date:

04 March 2016

Length of book:

321 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9781498529136

The planned reductions in NATO troop numbers in Afghanistan through 2015 and a final withdrawal at the end of 2016 brings up numerous pressing questions about the security and national interests of not just Afghanistan, but of the broader region itself. The problem of a chaotic Afghanistan—or of an outright Taliban victory—is of great concern to not only immediate neighbors such as Iran, Pakistan, and the former Soviet Central Asian republics to the north, but also to those countries in the region with Afghanistan-related security or economic concerns, such as China and India. Further abroad, Russian, American and European interests and plans for dealing with the fallout from Afghanistan must also be taken into account as these major powers have enduring interests in Afghanistan and the region. This volume puts the prospects for short- and mid-term security dynamics at the core of the analysis, with each case being placed in its proper contemporary historical, economic, and political context. The book will offer a truly comprehensive, nuanced, and timely account of the security situation in and around Afghanistan.

Introduction, Amin Saikal and Kirill Nourzhanov

Part I: Afghanistan in the post-Taliban Era: The Politics and Geopolitics of Survival
Chapter 1: Afghanistan: A Geopolitical Paradox, Amin Saikal
Chapter 2: US Policies and Practices towards Afghanistan and Central Asia since 2001, M. Nazif Shahrani

Part II: Traditional Regional Players: Iran, Pakistan, and India
Chapter 3: A New Phase in Relations between Iran and Afghanistan, Shahram Akbarzadeh
Chapter 4: Beyond Strategic Depth? Pakistan’s Evolving Relationship with Afghanistan, Aly Zaman
Chapter 5: “New Regionalism” and Afghanistan: The Role of India, Meena Singh Roy

Part III: Afghanistan as Viewed from Central Asia
Chapter 6: Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Desecuritization, and Regional Security, Reuel R. Hanks
Chapter 7: Kazakhstan’s Policy toward Afghanistan: Context, Drivers, and Outcomes, Nargis Kassenova
Chapter 8: Political and Economic Pragmatism: Turkmenistan and Afghanistan since 1991, Sebastien Peyrouse
Chapter 9: Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan’s Diminishing Relationship, Christian Bleuer
Chapter 10: Central Asian Security after 2014: The Case of Tajikistan, Mahmadyusuf Tashrifov

Part IV: Afghanistan and Central Asia in a Wider International Context
Chapter 11: Russia’s Afghanistan Policy after 2014: Staying at an Arm’s Length and Preparing for the Worst, Kirill Nourzhanov
Chapter 12: China in Afghanistan: Navigating a “Terrain of Hazards” in Search of Geopolitical Opportunity?, Michael Clarke
Chapter 13: The European Union in the Heartland: A Normative Power Looking for a Strategy in Central Eurasia, Emilian Kavalski

Conclusion, Amin Saikal and Kirill Nourzhanov

Afghanistan and Its Neighbors after the NATO Withdrawal is a timely and useful book that provides several keys to better understand the regional stakes in Afghanistan. Few studies provide such exhaustive coverage of Afghanistan's neighborhood. If some of the country’s neighbors have generated an abundant literature, others—notably on its western border—are virtually unknown. The essays related to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, for example, are truly original. The volume will undoubtedly help experts map the future of the Afghanistan, but it is also a must read for everybody truly interested in Afghanistan and the region.