Why is Russia so interested in Afghanistan?

The key factors shaping Russia’s policy are regional stability and its own painful history in Afghanistan. It wants secure borders for its Central Asian allies and to prevent the spread of terrorism and drug trafficking.

What are Afghanistan’s major resources?

Despite its impoverished status, the country is resource rich, with an abundance of coal, natural gas, copper, lithium, gold, iron ore, bauxite and prized rare-earth mineral reserves. But Afghanistan remains a graveyard of resources.

What kind of country is Afghanistan?

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a mountainous, landlocked country in South-Central Asia at an important geopolitical location, it connects the Middle East with Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

Why is there a war in Afghanistan?

After the Taliban government refused to hand over terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in the wake of al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, attacks, the United States invaded Afghanistan. The Taliban leadership quickly lost control of the country and relocated to southern Afghanistan and across the border to Pakistan.

What is the strategic significance of Afghanistan?

Afghanistan’s strategic location— it connects Central Asia and the Middle East to South and East Asia —makes it a “kind of a policy way station towards a political agenda,” explains Hanifi. So when large empires go to war in Afghanistan, they come up against other country’s attempts to expert their own influence in the region.

Will Afghanistan ever become important again?

Unless a lot of ground truths in the international system change (which is unlikely in the near to medium term future): Afghanistan will remain unimportant.

Why is Afghanistan so difficult to wage war in?

Of course, there are many other factors that make Afghanistan a tough place to wage war in. Logistically, the terrain makes it difficult to move people and equipment.

Why did the British Empire want to conquer Afghanistan?

During the first two wars, the British Empire wanted to secure the country against Russia’s influence, says Shah Mahmoud Hanifi, a professor of Middle Eastern and South Asian history at James Madison University. During the third, it wanted to secure Afghanistan against the Ottoman Empire.