The Spectre of Afghanistan : Security in Central Asia

Connecting a number of divergent perspectives on the current state of Afghanistan, this book outlines the country’s past and present instability and how this impacts and is conceptualised by its neighbours as well as by international heavyweights such as Russia, China and the United States. Given Afghanistan’s extensive cross-border ethnic, linguistic, sectarian and cultural ties with its neighbours – whatever transpires in the war-torn country is bound to have regional and global security implications. This study focuses on the current formal and informal defensive policies the states of Central Asia have in place in the event of the Afghan situation deteriorating further or the Taliban-led insurgency substantially widening their influence. The book also considers the positions and policy responses of three influential actors in the region: Russia, China and the United States. It assesses the convergence of interests between these great powers in stabilising Afghanistan, and their divergence of geopolitical objectives in the region. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Contents Preface Glossary of Terms Introduction The Afghan Threat: Conflict and Security in Central Asia Securitisation and Desecuritisation of the Afghan Threat in Central Asia Outline of the Book 1 The Afghanistan Threat The Context Evaluation Conclusion Notes 2 Afghanistan and Regional Security The Views from Central Asia The ISIS Challenge Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Conclusion Notes 3 The Central Asian Policy Response to Security Threats from Afghanistan Development, Defence and Diplomacy The Development–Security Nexus ‘Fortress Central Asia’: Military and Security Response to the Afghan Crisis Looking for Diplomatic Solutions to the Afghan Crisis Conclusion Notes 4 Great Powers and the Central Asia–Afghanistan Equation Russia: Central Asian Stability as an Overriding Concern China: Limited Involvement Multipolar and Multilayer Dynamics of Central Asia’s Response to the Afghan Issue Conclusion Notes 5 Central Asia’s Contribution to Peace in Afghanistan Mission Impossible or the Dawn of Hope? (Re)Assessing Afghanistan: Are the Central Asian Perspectives Shifting? Afghanistan and the Politics of Security and Reform in Individual Central Asian States Prospects for Regional Cooperation and the Afghan Question Conclusion Notes Conclusion Constructing the Afghan Threat and Policy Responses in Central Asia Great Powers and Political Settlement in Afghanistan Notes Bibliography Index "Aiming to connect a number of divergent perspectives on the current state of Afghanistan, this book outlines the country's past and present instability and how this impacts and is conceptualised by its neighbours as well as by international heavyweights such as Russia, China and the United States. Given Afghanistan's extensive cross-border ethnic, linguistic, sectarian and cultural ties with its neighbours? whatever transpires in the war-torn country is bound to have regional and global security implications. This study focuses on the current formal and informal defensive policies the states of Central Asia may or may not have in place in the event of the Afghan situation deteriorating further or the Taliban-led insurgency substantially widening their influence. The book also considers the positions and policy responses of three influential actors in the region: Russia, China and the United States. It assesses the convergence of interests between these great powers in stabilising Afghanistan, and their divergence of geopolitical objectives in the region. With President Donald Trump unpredictably upheaving American policy in Afghanistan, an assertive Russia continuing to expand its influence across Central Asia and China seeking to have a wider economic and security role in the region, this book offers a timely assessment of an internationally-important topic."-- Provided by publisher Introduction -- Chapter One: Post-2001 Afghanistan -- Chapter Two: The View from Afghanistan -- Chapter Three: The View from Central Asia -- Chapter Four: The Central Asian Response -- Chapter Five: The Role of the Major Powers -- Chapter Six: The Challenges Ahead -- Conclusion -- Index