Neo-Chiefs in the International State System Power Strategies and Authority in Afghanistan (1992 to the Present)

This dissertation is a study of the bases of power and influence of what are commonly known in Afghanistan as warlords—leaders whose legitimacy is based on the power to make war effectively, who have established a political organization within the confines of a state's recognized boundaries, and obey no higher authority than themselves. They are neo-chiefs, astute political entrepreneurs who play critical roles in people's access to the political arena and economic opportunities. They act at various times as the principal suppliers of governance to people in areas where they wield influence. Their political strategies extend beyond these territorial and community realms to include interactions with the state and international actors.

In this work, I identify the limits of the existing literature in fully acknowledging the international dimension of state-building, the role of sub-state actors in state formation processes, and the possibility that these actors operate in the international system. I show throughout this work that neo-chiefs have the ability to conduct international relations and can either benefit from or manipulate these relationships, which gives them the ability to reinvent themselves through crafting new bases for their authority once they lose control over their territories. When a stronger state asserts authority, warlords have to learn how to live with(in) that state and change the nature of their authority. They thus become dormant warlords.