The Plight of Afghanistan: Is any end in sight?

The virtually unbroken state of war and suffering in Afghanistan since the 1970s has been met mainly with apathy in the outside world. The world's largest concentration of land mines, and the world's greatest refugee problem in proportion to population, both rarely make the headlines, despite the valiant efforts of the aid agencies. Meanwhile, it is the world's second largest producer of opium, and under all regimes has combined an irredeemably warlike, lawless way of life with the harshest demonstrations of summary justice in the name of an extreme, fundamentalist version of Islam. Only powerful pressure from outside would seem capable of bringing the Afghan people some respite. At the crossroads of Asia since pre-history, the plight of Afghanistan should be a matter of international concern. But is there any reason for hope? This briefing describes the complex web of internal and external forces which have shaped present-day Afghanistan, and considers what possibilities there might be for a better future.

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