International Intervention and State-building in Afghanistan

Historically, Afghanistan has remained a fragile and destabilized region due to its strategic geographical location. State-building efforts are not new to the Afghan people, but various governments and international forces have experienced this several times. Some tried to build a strong centralized state on the model of secular and western democracy, others tried to impose a theocratic political system based on Islamic law. All failed due to consistent international intervention and the idea of a strong centralized government. International interventions are seen in dominant Western literature as a tool for state-building in Afghanistan; however, it turned out to be catastrophic. The state-building project in the post 9/11 intervention has made Afghanistan a rentier state. Afghanistan's economic and military dependence upon international powers forced the Afghan government to pursue policies in the light of international dictation. Problems of government's legitimacy, corruption and insurgency were also the factors arising from international intervention. All this leads to the conclusion that international intervention in Afghanistan continues to be the dominant factor in the failure of state-building processes and not an instrument of state-building.