1996-2001 History of Afghanistan





Afghanistan since 2001



Administration . In 2001, an international allied force ousted the Taliban regime. An Afghan Transitional Administration, the Loya Jirga, took over in June 2002, headed by Hamid Karzai. Free elections were held in 2004, and Hamid Karzai assumed the presidency.

Foreign Policy and Civil War . The Karzai regime enjoyed the sympathies of most governments, received wide international recognition and thus ended the diplomatic isolation Afghanistan had experienced under the Taliban regime. Afghanistan became the recipient of foreign aid. The presence of foreign occupation troops, initially, was not regarded as much of a problem. Foreign governments did expect the Karzai administration to undo a number of reforms the Taliban had implemented, such as the closure of schools for girls, and to combat opium cultivation.
Following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, terrorist activity, blamed on the Taliban/al Quaeda flared up in Afghanistan in 2004, forcing the forces of occupation to take military action, most notably the campaign in Helmand Province in 2006-2007.

Social Policy . Schools for girls have been reopened (and, in the countryside, are targetted by terrorists); the country's athletes resumed training and competitions; institutions such as the University of Kabul resumed normal operations.

The Economy . In 2002 Afghanistan introduced a currency reform at the rate of 1 New Afghani = 1000 Rabbini Afghani = 2000 Dostumi Afghanis (GHC).
The Karzai regime has failed to deal with the problem of the country's poppy cultivation; Afghanistan continues to be the world's major supplier of opium, production even increasing; the figure for 2006 was expected to reach 6,100 metric tons, i.e. 92 % of world production. As the government is perceived as being hostile to the industry which provides the livelihood for many Afghans, this provides a basis of popular support of the Taliban.
By comparison, the export of other products is negligible.





EXTERNAL
FILES 		Timetable History of Afghanistan, from BBC News
Articles Hamid Karzai, United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan, History of Afghanistan since 1992, Education in Afghanistan, Foreign Relations of Afghanistan, Loya Jirga, Afghani Presidential Election of 2004, from Wikipedia
Opium Timeline, from Opioids
GHC : A Global History of Currencies : Afghanistan
DOCUMENTS Afghan Statesmen, from World Statesmen (B. Cahoon)
Historical Population Statistics : Afghanistan, from Population Statistics
List of Afghan Transitional Administration Personnel, from Wikipedia
REFERENCE Article : Afghanistan, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2001 pp.123-127, 2002 pp.127-131, 2003 pp.127-133, 2004 pp.129-135, 2005 pp.123-130, 2006 pp.125-132 [G]
Article : Afghanistan, in : Britannica Book of the Year 2002 pp.384-385, 538 [G]
Entry : Afghanistan, Cabinet, p.3; Background Notes, pp.196-205, in : Countries of the World and their Leaders Yearbook, 2003 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on June 6th 2002, last revised on May 22nd 2007

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