Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy
Politics
Jack Detsch

When Afghanistan Almost Worked

Former Afghan King Mohammed Zahir Shah (center), accompanied by then-interim leader Hamid Karzai (left), arrives at Kabul’s international airport on April 18, 2002, after nearly 30 years in exile. Natalie Behring-Chisholm/Getty Images

While U.S. troops and NATO allies prepare for their withdrawal, many older Afghans are invoking a brief shining moment—call it their “Camelot” moment—when Afghanistan almost became a modern democracy on its own, without any help or interference from the United States or other major powers. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.