India’s Afghan Muddle: A Lost Opportunity by Harsh V. Pant

The book provides a brief history of Afghanistan from ancient times to year 2014, and brings out the strategic interest of world powers in the country. It highlights that Afghanistan has seen considerable turmoil, upheavals and external forces battling for strategic control since the 1970s. In 2001, this culminated into an ‘international war against terror’ post the 9/11 attacks in the US by Al Qaeda, the leaders of which were then sheltered by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Though the world responded by creating a coalition force led by the United States (US), despite all efforts over the past decade and a half, the situation has not fully stabilised till now. On the contrary, the US announcement of 2009 (to pull out her troops by 2014–16) created a major setback for the peace process. Today, Afghanistan faces the greatest challenge to her security, stability and development as her own security forces are not as yet fully geared up to face the diverse and disturbed security situation.