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For hundreds of years, the rugged mountains and deserts of Afghanistan, and its people, have been the playing field of neighbouring states, tribes, and ideologies. The current situation is made even more difficult and tragic by the involvement of entities from far beyond the immediate environment of the country. At the same time, the location and history of the country and the many influences from outside are also reflected in the rich cultural heritage of the country, and the amalgamation of so many different influences from beyond. The location of the country, it may be clear, is both a curse and a blessing. In this lecture I want to discuss the prelude to the conflict in Afghanistan, from the nineteenth century onwards to the communist coup of 1978, and the civil war the followed and which is still going on. At the end I want to discuss what may happen in Afghanistan in the future.
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