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Home > Open Access Journals > JSS > Vol. 18 > Afghanistan

 

Author Biography

Dr Goddy U. Osimen holds a PhD in Strategic Studies; his areas of speciality include Peace and Security Studies, War and Strategic Studies, Gender Mainstream, and International Politics. He is a trained Mediator and Conflict Analyst of repute. He is a member of various professional bodies like the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP), and the Institute of Chartered Arbitration and Mediation (ICAM), to mention a few. He has published over 90 articles in reputable journals. Currently, he holds a position as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Covenant University, Ota- Nigeria.

Oluwamurewa A. Newo is a doctoral student of Policy and Strategic Studies at Covenant University. Her doctoral research is focused on green growth transition and environmental policies. She currently holds a position as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.18.2.2380

Subject Area Keywords

Afghanistan, Irregular warfare, Middle East, Stability operations, Strategy, Taliban

Abstract

The American occupation of Afghanistan from 2001-2021 is widely regarded as a strategic failure, particularly after the Taliban took over the government in 2021. This work seeks to observe the strategic flaws of the 20-year occupation from the perspective of nation-building within the state. Using the theoretical lens of strategic culture and borrowing from Huntington’s discourse on the clash of civilizations, this article notes that nation-building failure in Afghanistan can be attributed to the ideological differences between the West and the Middle East. Using a descriptive qualitative approach and secondary sources such as books and peer-reviewed articles, the study employs thematic analysis to identify key areas of strategic flaws. The findings highlight three major areas of concern: strategic miscalculation and mission creep, over-militarization and over-reliance on hard power, and the hasty withdrawal of troops in 2021 without creating sustainable nation-building structures in Afghanistan. These flaws culminated in the Taliban’s take-over weeks after the U.S. exit from Afghanistan. In line with these findings, the study recommends that future strategies should incorporate the local culture of the native population into nation-building efforts, and it should have well-defined goals and exit timelines in order to prevent strategic failure, as in the case of Afghanistan.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Covenant University Centre for Research, Innovation and Discovery (CUCRID) in providing the framework for this study and publication assistance in the form of paper processing fees.

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