Published July 20, 2012 | By Felipe Umaña

Afghanistan has been continuously ravaged by war since the 1980s, after a Soviet-led invasion left the country severely impoverished and bereft of a legitimate government. The vacuum that existed after the Soviet withdrawal saw warring tribes and the Taliban vying for control over the country. Since then, Afghanistan has seen little development as the central government has focused its energies on combating its enemies. Poverty-stricken and without adequate access to healthcare, Afghanis have, for the most part, abandoned hope in the government’s efforts to reform the nation. Traditional tribal politics have superseded the central government’s initiatives.

Many anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan are anticipating the 2014 NATO withdrawal, merging efforts to ensure a united coalition against powerful pressure groups like the Taliban. As one of the world’s poorest states, Afghanistan also faces a very low level of security and stability, which are a detriment to all facets of society. Afghanistan faces a myriad of economic, political, and social challenges that it needs to address before the country can begin to see positive growth and development. A growing drug trade and widespread violence belittle the country’s frail legal system and continue to put pressure on government authority.

Published June 18, 2012 | By T. Anderson, R. Jaeger, F. Umaña, N. Manning, A. Whitehead.

1. Somalia As the situation in Somalia continued to deteriorate in 2011, the country remains at the top of the Failed States Index for the fifth year in succession. Ten out of twelve of Somalia’s indicators scores were above 9.0 on a scale of 10. Indeed, the Refugees and IDPs as well as the Security Apparatus indicator scores remain at the highest possible level of 10.0. The absence of a permanent national government for twenty years was aggravated in 2011 by an upsurge of violence, massive human rights abuses and natural disasters. Worsened social conditions have added to political instability which led to mass displacement and impoverishment. Somalia also continues to be a relentless headache for international shipping, with the unrelenting activities of Somali pirates deep into the Indian Ocean. Despite attempts by external actors such as the African Union and neighboring Kenya to intervene in the conflict, terrorist activity by al-Shabaab and general unabating lawlessness has hampered such efforts.
—Raphaël Jaeger

Published November 12, 2011 | By Kendall Lawrence

Afghanistan has ranked in the top ten on the Failed States Index for the past five years. The country faces many security challenges, including attacks on local and foreign security forces and widespread violence perpetrated by insurgent groups. Insurgents (often linked to the Taliban) and illegally armed groups continue to undermine efforts to forge a functioning government capable of providing access to basic necessities and public services. Pervasive political corruption and the prominence of drug lords seriously challenge state legitimacy. The government’s inability to control regions in which drug lords operate has made it difficult to combat the country’s robust drug trade and the growing black market. Until Afghanistan has the capacity to suppress its many security challenges, improved stability is unlikely.

Published October 14, 2011 | By Ryan Costello and Ed Nagle

Revelations from the 2004 exposure of the A. Q. Khan network have highlighted the importance of this region in global nonproliferation efforts. While terrorism is by no means constrained to the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, the confluence of intent, knowledge and materials is found in this region. It remains uncertain if all nodes of the Khan network have been identified. Other leading Pakistani scient ist s have demonstrated a willingness to share nuclear knowledge if not material capabilities. The diversity of suppliers in quantity, location and specialty has made confirmation tentative at best. Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program is extensive and ongoing. The infrastructure that enabled Khan’s prolonged success remains in place. In addition, the intentions of individual members of Pakistan’s intelligence and military leadership have been called into question as a result of revelations regarding Bin Laden’s death.

August 4, 2011
By Mustafa Babak
The Fund for Peace Commentary

Last December, I left Kabul and came to America to pursue higher education. While battling to adjust to a new environment and keep up with my studies, I found myself developing a daily routine of checking for news updates about my homeland, Afghanistan, at least once every day. As I followed the news from home very carefully, my thirst to hear of the latest updates about Afghanistan reminded me of the same questions I had asked myself over a decade ago: In the years since the ouster of the Taliban, what have the international community and the government done to significantly improve Afghanistan?

June 20, 2011
By Kristen Blandford, Annie Janus and Kendall Lawrence
The Failed States Index

1. Somalia

On this year’s Failed States Index, Somalia scored as the worst offender for Refugees and IDPs, Economic Decline, Human rights and Security Apparatus. The absence of a permanent national government for almost twenty years has led to ongoing civil violence, economic hardship, poor social conditions, and the displacement of several million Somali citizens. It has become increasingly difficult for international agencies to provide aid to Somalia in light of the recent troubles with piracy and hostility towards foreigners. An upsurge of civil violence in the southern part of the nation has created further destabilization and threatens any potential improvements to Somalia’s condition.