The Central Asia–Afghanistan Relationship: From Soviet Intervention to the Silk Road Initiatives (Contemporary Central Asia: Societies, Politics, and Cultures)

Central Asia is a relatively understudied neighbor of Afghanistan. The region is often placed into a number of historical and political contexts—a section of the Silk Road, a pawn in the “Great Game,” the “spillover” state that exemplifies the failure of US foreign policy—that limit scholarly understanding.This edited volume contributes by providing a broad, long-term analysis of the Central Asia–Afghanistan relationship over the last several decades. It addresses the legacy of Soviet intervention with a unique first-hand selection of interviews of former Soviet Central Asian soldiers that fought in the Soviet–Afghan War. It examines Afghanistan's norther neighbors, discussing Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan—their strategy for Afghanistan, their perception of challenges and opportunities of the country, and patterns of cooperation and conflict. The collection also looks at recent US strategic initiatives in the region, in particular the New Silk Road Initiative that envisions a growing Central Asia–South Asia connection. Introduction / Marlène Laruelle -- Part I. The legacy of the Soviet intervention -- Central Asian soldiers and the Soviet war in Afghanistan: an introduction / Artemy M. Kalinovsky -- A oral history of the Soviet-Afghan War: interviews with Central Asian Afgantsy / Marlène Laruelle, Botagoz Rakisheva, Gulden Ashkenova, and Artemy M. Kalinovsky -- Part II. Afghanistan's northern neighbors: perceptions and challenges -- Afghanistan's multicentered regional foreign policy / Antonio Giustozzi -- Russia's policy on Afghanistan / Ekaterina Stepanova -- Assessing Uzbekistan's and Tajikistan's Afghan policies: the impact of domestic drivers / Marlene Laruelle -- Insurgent activities at the Afghan-Turkmen and Afghan-Tajik borders / Bruce Pannier -- Part III. The Silk Road Initiative as a US project for Central Asia and Afghanistan -- Parsing mobilities in Central Eurasia / Alexander C. Diener -- The US Silk Road: geopolitical imaginary or the repackaging of strategic interests? / Marlène Laruelle -- The new Silk Road Initiative's questionable economic rationality / Sebastien Peyrouse and Gaël Raballand Contents Introduction The Legacy of the Soviet Intervention Central Asian Soldiers and the Soviet War in Afghanistan An Oral History of the Soviet–Afghan War Afghanistan ’s Nort hern Neighbors: Perceptions and Challenges Afghanistan’s Multicentered Regional Foreign Policy Russia’s Policy on Afghanistan Assessing Uzbekistan’s and Tajikistan’s Afghan Policies Insurgent Activities at the Afghan– Turkmen and Afghan–Tajik Borders The Silk Road Initiati ve as a US Project for Central Asia and Afghanistan Parsing Mobilities in Central Eurasia The US Silk Road The New Silk Road Initiative’s Questionable Economic Rationality List of Acronyms Bibliography Index About the Editor and Contributors This collection provides a broad analysis of Afghanistan and its neighbors in recent decades and investigates the various historical and political contexts into which the region has been placed. It examines the legacy of Soviet intervention, patterns of cooperation and conflict among regional states, and recent US strategic initiatives.