Afghan Wars

Catalog description

Afghanistan—from the Soviet Union’s occupation in the 1980s to the U.S. invasion of 2001 and beyond-- presents a good example of contemporary conflicts, often described as “complex political emergencies” (CPEs). These conflicts are the offshoots of diverse factors related to ethno-national, ethno-geographic, ethno- economic, ethno-religious and ethno-sectarian phenomena. To grasp these conflicts, one needs to examine Afghanistan’s history, culture, and linguistic dynamics, as well as its socio-economic structure, religio-tribal ideologies, and geo-strategic and geo-political stereotypes. In class discussions, a comprehensive record of the impact of these conflicts on the country’s human capital from the 1980s to the present will be examined.