Includes bibliographical references and index.

Afghanistan's troubled history / Martin Ewans -- The Soviet invasion and the rise of Islamic terrorism / Michael Binyon -- The rise of the Taliban / Peter Marsden -- The U.S.-led attack on Afghanistan and the fall of the Taliban / Stephen Tanner -- Pakistan may have supported the Taliban and international terrorists / Elizabeth Rubin -- The United States and Afghanistan must work together for stability in Afghanistan / George W. Bush and Hamid Karzai -- Afghanistan's interim government is flawed / Larry P. Goodson - The international community should not attempt to impose democracy on Afghanistan / Marina Ottaway and Anatol Lieven -- The women of Afghanistan face new challenges after the Taliban defeat / Natasha Walter -- Afghanistan remains oppressed by fundamentalists / the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan -- A stable Afghanistan is crucial to the peace of Central Asia / Ahmed Rashid -- The war in Afghanistan has resulted in an increased U.S. military presence in Central Asia / J. Eric Duskin -- The small arms trade in Afghanistan is a threat to peace / Ken Silverstein