Afghanistan's ethnic conflict

Abstract

Since the end of the Cold War, the war in Afghanistan has been transformed from an ideological struggle into a brutal ethno-nationalist conflict. This transformation has largely been fuelled by Afghanistan's neighbours, most importantly Pakistan, which have pursued competing policies of cross-border ethnic clientelism. In the search for a solution to the crisis, the US must take the lead, enlisting international support to pressure Pakistan and the Taleban, as well as their opponents, into a compromise solution based on a loose federal system. A failure to do so could not only inflict more devastating consequences on the Afghan people, but also seriously imperil international security and stability.