Reports
Discussion Papers
No.072 The Nature of the State in Afghanistan and Its Relations with Neighboring Countries
August 2006
ABSTRACT
Since
the
formation
of
Afghanistan,
its
nature
as
a
Pashtun
state
has
affected
all
its
international
relations.
On
the
other
hand,
the
fact
that
it
was
originally
established
as
a
buffer
state
between
Britain
and
Russia
still
governs
its
national
integration.
In
this
article
I
examine
Afghanistan's
relations
with
its
neighbors
through
an
investigation
of
its
history
and
the
present
conditions
of
its
borders
with
its
southern,
western
and
northern
neighbors.
My
aim
is
to
obtain
an
overall
perspective
of
Afghanistan's
relations
with
its
neighbors,
historically
decisive
elements,
and
the
aftermath
of
the
September
11
terrorist
attacks.
Keywords:
Afghanistan,
bordering
countries,
Durand
Line,
September
11
Please note that discussion papers are works in various stages of progress and most have not been edited and proofread and may contain errors of fact or judgment. Revised versions of these papers may subsequently appear in more formal publication series. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s). The IDE does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included and accepts no responsibility for any consequences arising from its use.