Afghanistan - Aid, Armies and Empires

the long version

As the battle for Afghanistan intensifies and the NATO-led coalition seemingly unable to defeat the Taliban and struggling in its nation-building efforts, the author looks at why it is that the great powers, from 19th century Britain to the 20th-century Soviet Union to the 21st-century America, have so often been thwarted when attempting to impose their will on this strategically vital country. In comparing three interventions, the author uncovers some similarities. Every would-be occupier has used some form of aid to try to turn Afghanistan into the kind of country that would suit their geopolitical objectives. He looks at how these interventions appear from the Afghan perspective and why ordinary Afghans seem better off when they are attracting less, not more, attention from world powers. He says that no amount of financial, military or humanitarian aid will stabilize the country if it comes with violence and foreign occupation.