Afghanistan’s image has been seriously affected by the Soviet invasion of 1979. While travelers once praised the exceptional beauty of its landscapes and the hospitality of its people, Afghanistan came to be seen as a hotbed of heroic resistance against totalitarianism, as symbolized by Commander Massoud, and, after the Red Army’s withdrawal in 1989, as a country torn by ethnic- and clan-based divisions, unable to find peace. The Taliban takeover brought an image of archaic and tyrannical fundamentalism, as the country became the hiding place of the terrorist Osama Bin Laden, who expressed his satisfaction over the deadly September 11th attacks against the United States.
Western, essentially American, military intervention led to the overthrow of the Taliban. But the country needs to be entirely rebuilt. Is it condemned to anarchy today? Under what conditions could peace be established? What mistakes should international aid avoid?