Central Asia is a relatively understudied neighbor of Afghanistan. The region is often placed into a number of historical and political contextsa section of the Silk Road, a pawn in the Great Game, the spillover state that exemplifies the failure of US foreign policythat limit scholarly understanding.This edited volume contributes by providing a broad, long-term analysis of the Central AsiaAfghanistan relationship over the last several decades. It addresses the legacy of Soviet intervention with a unique first-hand selection of interviews of former Soviet Central Asian soldiers that fought in the SovietAfghan War. It examines Afghanistans norther neighbors, discussing Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistantheir strategy for Afghanistan, their perception of challenges and opportunities of the country, and patterns of cooperation and conflict. The collection also looks at recent US strategic initiatives in the region, in particular the New Silk Road Initiative that envisions a growing Central AsiaSouth Asia connection.

Marlene Laruelle is research professor, director of the Central Asia Program, and associate director of the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at the Elliott School of International Affairs of George Washington University.

Introduction,Marlene LaruellePart I: The Legacy of the Soviet InterventionChapter 1: Central Asian Soldiers and the Soviet War in Afghanistan: An Introduction,Artemy M. KalinovskyChapter 2: A Oral History of the SovietAfghan War: Interviews with Central AsianAfgantsy,Marlene Laruelle, Botagoz Rakisheva, Gulden Ashkenova, and Artemy M. KalinovskyPart II: Afghanistans Northern Neighbors: Perceptions and ChallengesChapter 3: Afghanistans Multicentered Regional Foreign Policy,Antonio GiustozziChapter 4; Russias Policy on Afghanistan,Ekaterina StepanovaChapter 5: Assessing Uzbekistans and Tajikistans Afghan Policies: The Impact of Domestic Drivers,Marlene LaruelleChapter 6: Insurgent Activities at the AfghanTurkmen and AfghanTajik Borders,Bruce PannierPart III: The Silk Road Initiative as a US Project for Central Asia and AfghanistanChapter 7: Parsing Mobilities in Central Eurasia,Alexander C. DienerChapter 8: The US Silk Road: Geopolitical Imaginary or the Repackaging of Strategic Interests?,Marlene LaruelleChapter 9: The New Silk Road Initiatives Questionable Economic Rationality,Sebastien Peyrouse and Gaël Raballand