Methodological dimensions of warfare reconsidered: Into the Pak-Afghan insurgent nexus

In attempting to unravel the mysteries of the War in Afghanistan and its belligerents, many analysts have looked to the ghosts of wars past. The conventional wisdom of a burgeoning academic-popular narrative holds that the contemporary conflict exhibits innumerable similarities to the Soviet-Afghan War (and even the more obscure Anglo-Afghan Wars). Many notable Military Historians have specifically looked to the past with an eye for parallels and likenesses in order to learn the lessons of the previous conflict. However, little has been written with respect to significant changes and critical differences in these two domestic insurgencies. By employing two case studies (The Soviet-Afghan War, 1979-1989 and the War in Afghanistan, 2001-present) this historical investigation will endeavor to answer the question: What is the nature of the two Afghan insurgencies and what are their fundamental differences? To do so it will examine the methodology of the principal actors (the Mujahideen and the Taliban-al Qaeda nexus) along six broad categories of inquiry. It will argue that while there are many similarities (determined by a unique Afghan Way of War) there are also significant differences in the nature of both conflicts as well as in terms of the respective insurgent's organizations, their strategies, tactics (and tactical operations), logistics, financial networks, intelligence and information dissemination capabilities.;Keywords. Afghanistan; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; the United States of America; Iran; Central Asia; Pashtunistan; Talibanistan; the Soviet-Afghan War; the War in Afghanistan; Pashtunwali; tribal bloc; patronage network; shura; sharia; Sunni jurisprudence; Deobandi; Salafi; jihad; popular uprising; Cold War; Mujahideen; Afghan Arabs; the Taliban regime; Taliban organizations; the Taliban social movement; al Qaeda; the al Qaeda social movement; insurgency; caliphate; mosque; madrassa; mullah; poppy; opium.