Weekly Geopolitical Report – Afghanistan, Part I: History (September 13, 2021)
by Bill O’Grady | PDF
The American exit from Afghanistan has created a crisis in the region. For two decades, the U.S. has propped up a government in Kabul. The U.S. withdrawal has led to the rapid collapse of that government and the restoration of the Taliban.
The media has been closely tracking the situation in Afghanistan, detailing the events as Afghans affiliated with NATO forces or Western NGOs do their best to flee the country. Although this human drama is important, the broader geopolitical issue is that the U.S. exit from Afghanistan will create a power vacuum that will unsettle the region.
This report will consist of four parts and will be a joint effort from our team. This week, we will cover the history of Afghanistan. Part II will examine how the U.S. exit affects Iran, Pakistan, and India. In Part III, Patrick Fearon-Hernandez will cover the impact on Russia and the central Asian nations. Thomas Wash will close the report in Part IV with the effects on China and beyond. At the conclusion of Part IV, we will discuss market ramifications.