Peacebuilding in Afghanistan: Revisiting the Global War on Terrorism

Afghanistan is a landlocked and mountainous land that has been beset by turbulence and instability for nearly a century. Littered with landmines and plagued by internecine fighting, the country came close to ruination during its US backed proxy war against the Soviets which started in 1979 and went on for nearly two decades. After ousting Soviet invaders in a relentless struggle, the country fell under the control of the Taliban - a pre-dominantly Pashtun, militant group conceived and armed to the teeth with US support during the Cold War and which remained in control of about 90% of Afghanistan until late 2001.5