How the West Has Failed Pakistan and Afghanistan

Large parts of the world are still undergoing traumatic changes for which the West does not seem to have a plan or a solution. The military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan are drawing to a close while insecurity remains, as do glaring doubts about the success of this political, economic, and developmental engagement.

There are no solutions out there at the moment for failing states, interstate conflict, or the lack of economic growth and social development. Old ideas and policies are still being used by major Western powers, despite limited success, and with little consultation with the states themselves.

At a recent talk, Ahmed Rashid, journalist and writer, looked at the impact of such ideas on Pakistan and Afghanistan. Omar Samad, formerly Afghanistan’s ambassador to Canada and France and currently a senior fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, considered the West’s engagement in Afghanistan.

Listen above.