Some Assembly Required

The challenge of forging a peaceful, democratic post-Saddam Iraq has sharpened debate about the ways and means of nation building. Recent reports on Afghanistan, Bosnia, East Timor, and Kosovo offer a smorgasbord of relevant case studies, lessons, and horror stories:

By Katherine Yester

November 2, 2009, 5:02 PM

Afghanistan For every soldier in the new Afghan National Army, at least 100 militia members still operate in various corners of Afghanistan, thanks to funding from neighbors like Iran and Uzbekistan. So writes Mark Sedra in "Afghanistan: Between War and Reconstruction" (Foreign Policy in Focus, March 2003). In "Afghanistan: Women and Reconstruction" (March 2003), the International Crisis Group notes that although the Taliban's defeat promised an end to the systematic oppression of Afghan women, most aid "is being channelled to projects likely to prove at most symbolic."

Afghanistan For every soldier in the new Afghan National Army, at least 100 militia members still operate in various corners of Afghanistan, thanks to funding from neighbors like Iran and Uzbekistan. So writes Mark Sedra in "Afghanistan: Between War and Reconstruction" (Foreign Policy in Focus, March 2003). In "Afghanistan: Women and Reconstruction" (March 2003), the International Crisis Group notes that although the Taliban’s defeat promised an end to the systematic oppression of Afghan women, most aid "is being channelled to projects likely to prove at most symbolic."

Bosnia Although 907,000 refugees have returned to their homes since 1995, about 500,000 Bosnians remain displaced, reports the International Crisis Group in "The Continuing Challenge of Refugee Return in Bosnia & Herzegovina" (December 2002). A weak economy, discrimination against refugees, and the threat of violence deter many from returning. In "Fostering Regional Cooperation and Reconciliation in Serbia and Southeastern Europe" (October 2002), the Stanley Foundation argues that "the single biggest dilemma facing the region is whether it will be a unified market of 55 million people or several smaller markets."

East Timor The growth of militia groups and an upsurge in violence, including a deadly riot last December in the capital Dili, could undermine progress in East Timor, according to the "Special Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor" (March 2003). The United Nations has recommended delaying its current timeline for a gradual exit of the roughly 4,000 U.N. peacekeepers.

Kosovo Kosovo’s final status is the subject of the U.S. Institute of Peace’s "Kosovo Decision Time" (February 2003). The "Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo" (January 2003) highlights the difficulty of building "effective, representative, transparent, and accountable” civic institutions with a divided populace. From running power plants to introducing the euro, the assistance efforts of the European Union are detailed in its periodic newsletter, Commitment to Kosovo.