Mobilizing Identity in the Pashtun Tribal Belt
Mobilizing Identity in the Pashtun Tribal Belt
by Colonel Ellen Haring
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Today, violent conflict in the Pashtun tribal belt in Afghanistan and Pakistan is increasing and a number of experts are attempting to understand the dynamics driving this conflict. An examination of two key identities of the Pashtun people reveals how religious identity is being mobilized by one group for political purposes and ethnic identity is inadvertently being threatened by another group. The resulting vortex of threat and mobilization are the source of this increased violence. This paper analyzes the ethnic and religious identities of the Pashtun people to illustrate how identities are used to influence conflict and it will then offer ways for the US and the international community to adjust their activities to reduce conflict in the Pashtun tribal belt.
Download the full article: Mobilizing Identity in the Pashtun Tribal Belt
Colonel Ellen Haring is a civil affairs officer assigned to the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command at USJFCOM but currently serving as an assistant professor for the US Army’s Command and General Staff College. She teaches a range of topics related to strategic and operational planning for the Department of Joint, Interagency and Multinational Operations. She holds a masters degree in Peace Operations Policy from George Mason University and her graduate studies and personal interests are in conflict analysis and resolution with a regional focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
