Afghanistan

Business in a Difficult Institutional Environment: The Afghanistan Post-911 Reconstruction

“…As an exceedingly strategic land, it has been envied by the world's notorious powers and conquerors, including Persia, Alexander-The-Great, the Arabs, Mongols, Tsars, the British Empire, and the former Soviet Union. While many powerful militaries have adventured in, and temporarily conquered, Afghanistan to a greater or lesser extent, none has managed to annihilate popular resistance within its boundaries (Rashid, 2008Dupree, 1980;Habibi, 1985Ghobaar, 1968Barry, 1984;Victor, 1983).…”

“…While Afghans may have won the wars militarily, they lost them politically and economically (Barry, 1984;Centlivres et al, 1984;Victor, 1983;Dupree, 1980).…”

“…Ethnic groups such as Pushtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Baluchs, Kirghizs, Qezelbaashs, Nouristanis, Aimaq, Gujors, Sikhs, and Hindus live in Afghanistan (Habibi, 1985;Barry, 1984;Victor, 1983;Dupree, 1980;p. 57-65;Ghobaar, 1968).…”

“…Except for the last two, all groups are Muslims. Afghanistan's principal languages are Pashto and Dari -both Indo-European languages (Dupree, 1980). The majority of Afghans are illiterate.…”

“…After the Second World War, the country was gradually moving toward stability and prosperity (Barry, 1984;Victor, 1983;Dupree, 1980). But the country was swept suddenly into a profound crisis after a bloody coup d'état in April 1978, when a small number of Afghan communists, supported directly by the Soviet-Union's spy agencies, undertook the unrealistic goal of transforming Afghanistan's traditional society into a total communist society; while not sparing brutalities, random arrests, and massive killings (Tomsen, 2011;Barry, 1984;Centlivres et al, 1984;Victor, 1983;Shah, 1983;De Ponfilly, 1985;Dubois, 1989;Bazgar, 1987).…”