The intervention in Afghanistan by the United States in 2001 has triggered the hasty production of a large corpus of writings about the political and socio-cultural dynamics of the country by Euro-American academics, travellers, journalists, and aid and development workers.
Afghanistan today is in a critical juncture. The US is less than 40 days (May 1st) from the May troop withdrawal deadline with many arguing that US withdrawal will lead to immense suffering in Afghanistan.
Despite 20 years of international presence in Afghanistan, countless lives lost and billions in aid, many still fail to understand Afghanistan and its history; and why there is no consensus on the future of the country. We were honoured to speak with Professor Thomas Barfield - 'one of America's foremost authorities on Afghanistan on the cultural & political history of the country.
