The Soviet Union occupied her southern neighbor Afghanistan on Thursday, December 27, 1979. Soon after the occupation, significant impacts were felt on agriculture and other sectors of the economy. Agriculture was affected in many ways from the integrity of irrigation systems to the cultivation of opium poppies. Agricultural extension, as the main department within the Ministry of Agriculture, was severely affected in terms of programs, organization, personnel, budget, methods, relations with farmers, and transfer of improved technologies. This study was designed to assess the impacts of the occupation and identify recommendations for the future development of the system. A survey design was used. Sixty-two Afghans with detailed knowledge about the Soviet occupation and agriculture participated in the study. The survey included 34 mostly open-ended questions, covering three areas: demographic characteristics of respondents, impacts of the occupation, and prospects for the future of the Agricultural Extension System of Afghanistan. The majority of participants were highly educated and lived in North America after departing Afghanistan. The results also showed that during the occupation many participants were assigned to passive positions or lost their jobs. The occupation affected the attitudes of the farmers, reduced the cultivation of agricultural land, destroyed the infrastructure for delivering agricultural services, altered the types of crops grown and reduced the number of people working in agriculture. Millions of landmines remain a serious threat to those who return to farming. Recommendations are made for the Government, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Higher and Vocational Education, Agricultural Extension System, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), and International Aid Agencies. Agricultural extension rehabilitation should be given high priority to meet the emerging challenges of increasing agricultural production by adopting modern technology, generating suitable marketing channels for surplus agricultural products, providing equal development and working opportunities for Afghan women, protecting natural resources, utilizing professional returnees, and replacing poppy cultivation with regular food crops. Perceptual and structural obstacles may militate against providing proper support for agricultural development in Afghanistan. The overall reconstruction and development of the Afghan Agricultural Extension System is a prerequisite for the future development of the Afghan agriculture sector. Establishing a stable Afghan government and support from the international coalition are essential to rebuilding this important sector of the economy. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Aman-Allah's effort to modernize Afghanistan in the first quarter of the twentieth century appears on the historic record as a failure. In this work we have sought to illuminate the nature of the problems that prevented success, especially those arising from the powerful institutions of the day. The error that was ultimately fatal to Aman-Allah's regime was his failure to appreciate the power of the 'ulama, pervasive in all levels of the culture, allowing them to become his single most effective opponent. This study has concentrated on the relationship between Aman-Allah and the 'ulama during the critical years 1919-1929. In the beginning Aman-Allah seemed to understand the force that could either support or be activated against him, and tried to work with the 'ulama, drawing their support through Islamic symbols such as jihad and pan-Islamism. The study shows how Aman-Allah initially won the support of the 'ulama by sponsoring the reintroduction of jihad against the British, in which the 'ulama played an important function, and by establishing himself as a major proponent of the pan-Islam movement. The 'ulama were pleased by his approach, with its marked contrast to the anti-clerical attitudes and practices of his grandfather Amir 'Abd al-Rahman. He was able to enlist some of the 'ulama to help formulate and support his reforms. Early in his regime, Aman-Allah had the majority support of the 'ulama. Despite his early popularity with the 'ulama, however, conflict emerged when Aman-Allah ventured to alter tradition regarding the family and society and to introduce radical modernization in Afghan society. Aman-Allah's attempt to recruit the support of the clergy and the tribal chieftains with whom they shared power was finally thwarted by his efforts at social reform. When government modernization deviated from tradition, a breach opened between state and clergy, manifested in the Khust Rebellion. The rift expanded in 1928 when Aman-Allah moved overtly toward secularization. The diverse elements among the 'ulama were solidified into a unitary force by this common threat. In the end, the 'ulama would no longer grant political legitimacy to Aman-Allah's regime, and with that recognition, it must fail.

M.A. (History) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

US-Präsident Barack Obama hat die ersten hundert Tage seiner Administration hinter sich. Wie Alexander Höse zeigt, waren diese von einigen Höhen und Tiefen gekennzeichnet; allein die globale Finanzkrise hat ihren Beitrag dazu geleistet. Der Autor gibt einen Überblick über Obamas vermeintlich neue Politik und zeigt, dass sich so viel doch nicht geändert hat.

Niels Annen (MdB) und Hans-Christian Ströbele (MdB) äußern sich in zwei Kommentaren zum Afghanistan-Einsatz der NATO.

Nach wie vor ist es der internationalen Gemeinschaft nicht gelungen, eine Lösung für die afghanische Krise zu präsentieren. Dabei macht die gegenwärtige Situation eine Beendigung des Kriegszustands sowie die Aufnahme von konstruktiven Verhandlungen unerlässlich. Die Genfer Verhandlungen der 1980er Jahre über den Abzug der Sowjetarmee aus Afghanistan könnten hierbei als Vorbild dienen.

In den vergangenen zwei Jahrzehnten hieß es, es gebe keine Entwicklung ohne Frieden. Daraus wurde abgeleitet, man müsse Soldaten nach Afghanistan schicken, um Entwicklungsperspektiven zu sichern. Dies wurde sodann abgewandelt: "Ohne Sicherheit keine Entwicklung". Mit dem Scheitern der Intervention im Land der Afghanen wurde daraus: "Ohne Entwicklung keine Sicherheit". Dies hat Auswirkungen auf die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit: Frieden als Ziel ist verschwunden, sie wird zur Funktion der "Sicherheit Deutschlands", die am Hindukusch verteidigt werden soll. Dafür wird passendes Personal gesucht.

The main objective of this thesis is to analyse the relationship between tribalism and modernity in Afghanistan. Focusing on Pashtuns, who constitute the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, the thesis traces their transformation from a tribal confederacy into a central state that introduced modernity to Afghanistan. In this regard, the thesis is, basically, a discussion of the struggle for power between two institutions in Afghanistan: the tribe and the state. In an effort to reveal the relationship between the two, the thesis looks at the modern strategies and ideologies used by the Afghan state to beat the power of tribalism. Nationalism and Socialism, in this regard, come up as two modern ideologies that are discussed in relation to Pashtun Tribalism. Questioning the concepts of Afghan Nationalism and Pashtun Nationalism as well as their relation to Pashtun Tribalism, the thesis discusses the concept of a tribe within the frame of modern border demarcation, nation-building efforts and modernist reform programmes. Passing on to the discussion on Socialism, the thesis then addresses the question of tribe in relation to the idea of class struggle, a communist party, a modern coup d&rsquo / &eacute / tat and a communist revolution. Contrasting the concept of tribe with such modern notions, the thesis finally reveals how tribalism managed to survive within these modern ideologies by articulating into them in various ways.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2005. / Thesis Advisor(s): Peter R. Lavoy, Feroz Hassan Khan. Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-104). Also available online.

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