Michael Hughes

Michael Hughes: The obsession of the U.S. and its international partners with building a strong central state in Afghanistan at the expense of local, more informal, governing institutions is one of the reasons the state-building mission failed, leaving the country vulnerable to predation and abuse by corrupt officials and warlords. As a result, the Afghan government, even with its massive army, rests upon a flimsy foundation that is likely to implode once foreign donors turn off the spigot. Click here to read more.