The ISAF Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Perceptions and Reactions of Regional Powers

US army Col Calvin Wimbish, deputy director of operations for ISAF, during US army's 237th birthday at ISAF's headquarters, Afghanistan

This paper discusses the possible perceptions and reactions of regional powers following the withdrawal of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops at the end of 2014. The international community is anxious to reassure the Afghan government that it will not be left to fend for itself. Nevertheless, the fear remains that a power vacuum and another takeover by the Taliban could throw the country into turmoil once again. The destabilization of Afghanistan would most affect the neighboring countries. Yet despite sharing similar threat perceptions, these states are pursuing very different goals in Afghanistan that impede effective cooperation, writes the author.

Open Access (Creative Commons License Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Germany)

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