Aiding violence or building peace? The role of international aid in Afghanistan

Abstract

The political and military landscape in Afghanistan has been transformed since 11 September. Whether the fall of the Taliban and the transition to an Afghan Interim Administration signify the emergence of a new peaceful order or a dangerous disorder it is too early to tell. The underlying dynamics of the Afghan crisis have yet to be addressed and it will be argued in this article that the main challenge for the newly installed interim administration and the international community will be one of 'winning the peace'. Military and diplomatic measures, though important, are unlikely by themselves to secure a transition towards a stable peace. Over two decades of war a regional conflict complex ..