In this book the authors seek to explain the experience of the post-coup period by relating Afghanistan's political and social systems to broader theoretical propositions about regime maintenance and political legitimization.

Amin Saikal is professor and director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (Middle East and Central Asia) at the Australian National University

Preface -- Introduction -- State, Societies, and Political Legitimacy -- The New Regime -- The Opposition -- Soviet Options -- The Geneva Débâcle -- The Aftermath of the Withdrawal -- The Destructuring of Afghanistan -- Conclusion