The Fragmentation of Afghanistan; State Formation and Collapse in the International System, Second Edition

by Barnett R. Rubin

• ISBN13: 9780300095197
• ISBN10: 0300095198
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2002-01-11
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

This book examines Afghan society in conflict, from the 1978 communist coup to the tall of Najibullah, the Last Soviet-installed president, in 1992. This edition, newly revised by the author, reflects developments since then and includes material on the Taliban and Usama bin Laden. It is a book that now seems remarkably prescient.
Drawing on two decades of research, Barnett R. Rubin, a leading expert on Afghanistan, provides a fascinating account of the nature of the old regime, the rise and fall of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, and the troubled mujahidin resistance. He relates all these phenomena to international actors, showing how the interaction of U.S. policy and Pakistani and Saudi Arabian interests has helped to create the challenges of today. Rubin puts into context the continuing turmoil in Afghanistan and offers readers a coherent historical explanation for the country's social and political fragmentation.

Author Biography

Barnett R. Rubin is professor of political science and director of studies and Senior Fellow at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
Political Map of Afghanistan
Afghanistan, Mirror of the World	p. 1
The Old Regime: State, Society, and Politics	p. 17
Social Structure under the Old Regime	p. 22
State, Tribe, and the International System: From Gunpowder Empires to the Cold War	p. 45
Rentier State and Rentier Revolutionaries	p. 81
The PDPA in Power: From the Second Cold War to the Collapse of the USSR	p. 107
Failure of Revolution from Above	p. 111
Under Soviet Occupation: Party, State, and Society, 1980-1985	p. 122
Soviet Withdrawal, Political Retreat: State and Society, 1986-1991	p. 146
The Islamic Resistance: Mujahidin, Society, and the International System	p. 177
Origins of the Movement of Jihad	p. 184
International Aid, War, and National Organization	p. 196
International Aid, War, and Local and Regional Organization	p. 226
Mujahidin after Soviet Withdrawal	p. 247
State Collapse after the Cold War: Afghanistan without Foreign Aid	p. 265
Appendix A: Note on Sources	p. 281
Appendix B: Political Actors in Afghanistan, 1973-1994	p. 285
Appendix C: Financing of Government Expenditure, 1952-1988	p. 295
Notes	p. 299
Glossary	p. 343
Bibliography	p. 349
Index	p. 367
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