Afghanistan and Iraq: State-Building in Countries with Strong Societies

Abstract

Amin Saikal State-building is a very complex issue which varies widely in the way it can be approached and undertaken. Political leadership, social composition, historical legacies, geography, economic structures, and foreign intervention, among other things, must be taken into account. Yet in general, one can identify four processes of, and approaches to, state-building. The first is internally designed and funded; the second is externally driven and funded; the third is internally funded but externally influenced; and the fourth is externally funded and internally managed. While various modes can be accommodated within each of these processes, and states may move between different processes at different moments in their history, these four types provide a useful framework for thinking about state-building in national contexts. With the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and 2003, respectively, state-building in both countries began to proceed predominantly along the lines of the second type Show more