NATO, Security and Risk Management by M. J. Williams

Author:M. J. Williams [Williams, M. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780415452168
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2008-10-08T00:00:00+00:00

Afghanistan: a brief history2

To understand Afghanistan today one must understand something of the country’s history. It is a sad history indeed. Afghanistan is a country of splendid natural beauty and travellers through the country, including the US marines fighting as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, have had their breath taken away by its majestic landscape. Unfortunately, few of the travellers in Afghanistan have had it as their final destination. Rudyard Kipling coined the phrase “the Great Game” to describe the relationship between Afghanistan, India and the battle between the Russian and British empires for hegemony in the region over several decades during the nineteenth century. As early as 1791, Catherine the Great had ordered plans drawn up for an invasion of the subcontinent that would give the mighty Russian empire access to the Indian Ocean. Naturally the British, keen to protect colonial interests in the region, stood in the way and would continue to do so for roughly 150 years. It was the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, who inspired Kipling when he said that “Turkistan, Afghanistan, Transcaspia, Persia … are the pieces on a chessboard upon which is being played out a game for dominance of the world”.3

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