Abstract
What is the current disposition of forces in Afghanistan? Are there any prospects for a return to normalcy in the country in the wake of the ISAF drawdown, and how will it affect the security situation in Afghanistan and Central Asia? Why is Washington in such a hurry to pull out large troop numbers, while at the same time retaining the military bases in the country? And what are Russia’s key interests in the region?
Security Index correspondents Vadim Kozyulin and Irina Mironova have put these questions to Zamir Kabulov, Head of the Second Asia Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan, and the Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Afghanistan in 2004-2009.
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