The search for common ground: civil–military relations in Afghanistan, 2002–13

The study spans the past decade of civil–military interaction, beginning with the creation of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). PRTs were seen by many in troop-contributing country (TCN) militaries and governments as an innovative instrument to further stabilisation. Initially envisioned as interim structures, they would provide security as well as basic reconstruction and infrastructure outside of Kabul, ostensibly in support of the Afghan government. PRTs aimed to neutralise potential threats to security and enabled a ‘light’ approach to nation-building, removing the need to commit higher levels of troops and financial resources. PRTs were established at a heady pace: by 2008, there were 26 PRTs in Afghanistan, led by 13 different nations.