NATION BUILDING AFTER 9/11: NATION BUILDING AS AN ANTI-TERRORISM TOOL UNDER THE MILITARY’S LEADERSHIP AND BUILDING THE AFGHAN STATE

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Date
2014-06-02
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Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
In the post 9/11 environment nation building is often viewed as an anti-terrorism tool. This thesis examines post 9/11 nation building with a focus on 1) whether nation building secures a lasting victory against anti-American terrorism, 2) how skilled is the U.S. military to lead nation building missions, and 3) which government model, centralized or decentralized, is most likely to result in a sustainable Afghan state. In doing so, it first evaluates the notion that promoting democracy through nation building in failed states will secure a lasting victory against anti-American terrorism. The focus then shifts to the military’s skills in the areas of democratization and economic development by discussing the military’s contributions to the success achieved, or the lack of success, in the missions in Germany and Japan at the end of the Second World War, and more recently in Iraq. Finally, to examine which government model is most likely to result in a sustainable Afghan state, the thesis discusses the inability of the central government to extend its reach to the periphery and guarantee security in the context of the complex history of Afghanistan. The thesis concludes that failed states will continue to present a security danger in the next several decades. Thus, nation building will remain a relevant tool in reducing opportunities for terrorist organizations. Only an appropriate mix of military and civilian agencies, rather than the military taking the lead in all aspects of nation building, can result in a lasting success, namely a sustainable democratic state. The thesis makes it clear that the proper model for a sustainable Afghan state is a flexible centralized model that allows division of responsibilities between the center and the periphery.
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nation building, post 9/11 nation building, anti-terrorism, anti-terrorism strategy, failed states, democratization, military, Afghanistan, Iraq
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