GEOPOLITICAL OVERVIEW OF CONFLICTS 2011 - Portal de ...

Francisco José Berenguer Hernández
Afghanistan: The beginning of the end
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BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT
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Distant History
The territory occupied by today’s Afghanistan has historically been the scene
of conflict. A quick historical analysis reveals that it has always been the location
for harsh and prolonged campaigns. For example, Alexander the Great
was involved in a guerrilla war here which took up more time and caused
more casualties than all of his previous campaigns in total. This could only
be brought to an end through a policy of alliances, which finally ended a war
which could not be won militarily (6) .
The Arab invasion was successful in major cities, such as Herat; however, in
the arid and mountainous regions it met with fierce resistance, such as that
waged against the contingent led by Al Ahmaf ben Quais along the Murghab
river (7) .
Similar patterns have been repeated in all invasions and migrations, and in the
formation and disappearance of kingdoms which created the varied ethnicity
which is one of the most important and determining characteristics of Afghanistan.
However, the events which have a direct influence on current events
can be traced back to Afghanistan being considered one of the cards in what
Kipling called «the Great Game» (8) . The struggle in Asia between the Russians
and the British in the 19th century resulted in a series of Anglo-Afghan wars,
the main consequence of this was the formation of the Afghanistan of today,
and evidence that the irregular warfare practised by the Afghans and the harsh
environmental and geographic conditions presented impossible challenges for
regular armies (9) .
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Recent History
Following decades of relative stability and numerous attempts to develop the
country, the failure of the constitutional period which provoked the ousting
of King Mohammad Zahir Shah in 1973, led by Lieutenant General Sardar
Mohammad Daoud Khan, and supported by the pro-Communist faction led
by Babrak Karmal, led to the spiral of violence which continues today. Although
he had previously been pro-Soviet, when Daoud attained power he
tried to decrease the influence of the USSR in Afghanistan by drawing closer
to Pakistan, Iran and the United States. A further coup on 27th April 1978
led, following the assassination of Daoud, to a regime with closer ties to
(6)
Sekunda, N., Warry, J. (1998). Alexander the Great, his armies and campaigns. London:
Osprey Publishing.
(7)
Hambly, G. (1985). Asia Central. Madrid: Siglo XXI de España Editores.
(8)
Kipling, Rudyard (2007). Kim de la India. («Kim of India») Barcelona: Editorial Vicens Vives.
(9)
Fremont-Barnes, G. (2009). The Anglo-Afghan Wars 1839-1919. London: Osprey Publishing.