--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America does not hold to the colonial…" description: "\"America does not hold to the colonial tradition. America came, liberated Afghanistan from the Taliban and al-Qaida, came to an arrangement with Hamid K..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/ahmed-rashid-19311_afghanistan_america-does-not-hold-to-the-colonial-tr_77976.jpg" --- # America does not hold to the colonial tradition. America… ![“America does not hold to the colonial tradition. America came, liberated Afghanistan from the Taliban and al-Qaida, came to an arrangement with Hamid Karzai, wanted to organize elections as soon as possible and then withdraw. The Bush administration thought that once there is a democracy…” quote by Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/ahmed-rashid-19311_afghanistan_america-does-not-hold-to-the-colonial-tr_77976.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/ahmed-rashid-19311_afghanistan_america-does-not-hold-to-the-colonial-tr_77976.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/ahmed-rashid-19311_afghanistan_america-does-not-hold-to-the-colonial-tr_77976.jpg) > “America does not hold to the colonial tradition. America came, liberated Afghanistan from the Taliban and al-Qaida, came to an arrangement with Hamid Karzai, wanted to organize elections as soon as possible and then withdraw. The Bush administration thought that once there is a democracy, everything else will fall into place. If today you speak to the architects of the 2001 Afghanistan Conference in Bonn, they will tell you that instead of being fixated on elections, we should have built a State in Afghanistan with an army and a police force first.” [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, arguing that focusing on elections before establishing security institutions was a flawed approach. **In simple terms:** Premature elections undermined stability. Key Takeaway Build security first, then governance. Themes U.S. foreign policy Afghanistan conflict Nation-building Democracy promotion Strategic missteps Mood critical reflective Type political analysis historical commentary When to use this quote - post-conflict reconstruction - international intervention - nation-building initiatives - democratic transitions Key Concepts state formation security sector reform electoral politics policy planning Practical Applications - advising policymakers - designing aid programs Questions to Reflect On - What should be the priority in post-conflict state building? - How can security and governance be balanced? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Police force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-force/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) ## Related quotes > [I found a correlation between the spreading of democracy after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise in slavery. Now, as countries,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-napoleoni/i-found-a-correlation-between-the-spreading-of-democracy-after-the/) [Loretta Napoleoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-napoleoni/) > [I was born in an enemy country. Only in America can someone who came from that beginning do what I am doing. It would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-st-florian/i-was-born-in-an-enemy-country-only-in-america-can-someone-who-came/) [Friedrich St. Florian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-st-florian/) > [“America One," came Wade's voice from the big shadow, "or America Two?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-erickson/america-one-came-wade-s-voice-from-the-big-shadow-or-america-two/) [Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-erickson/) > [“The 80's in America were about building a better future here in America. We came into the generation dancing. We saw an explosion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mitchell/the-80-s-in-america-were-about-building-a-better-future-here-in/) [Phil Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mitchell/) > [America's relationship with Haiti has always been very complicated. I often say to people, "Before we came to America, America came to us in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/america-s-relationship-with-haiti-has-always-been-very-complicated-i/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“America” came from a massive jam,’ Wendy told me. ‘We were playing and rehearsing for hours and hours and we hit on this one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-thorne/america-came-from-a-massive-jam-wendy-told-me-we-were-playing-and/) [Matt Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-thorne/) > [The settlement of America had its origins in the unsettlement of Europe. America came into existence when the European was already so distant from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/the-settlement-of-america-had-its-origins-in-the-unsettlement-of/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [I have never had a plan when it comes to my career: America came to me with an opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka-chopra/i-have-never-had-a-plan-when-it-comes-to-my-career-america-came-to-me/) [Priyanka Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka-chopra/) > [My great-great grandmother who came from Norway to America came for economic freedom, but importantly she also came for religious freedom. It is part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-daines/my-great-great-grandmother-who-came-from-norway-to-america-came-for/) [Steve Daines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-daines/) > [So the America I came to know growing up was filled with all the excitement and possibilities found in living the American dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-love/so-the-america-i-came-to-know-growing-up-was-filled-with-all-the/) [Mia Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-love/) > [What everyone underestimated was the acute unpopularity of the Taliban, even in the Pashtun areas. People like myself were saying the Taliban would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/what-everyone-underestimated-was-the-acute-unpopularity-of-the/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [We should remember that the Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Of course, many of them did support the Taliban. But you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/we-should-remember-that-the-pashtuns-are-the-largest-ethnic-group-in/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [I think within a year or so, perhaps, if 9/11 had not happened, in Afghanistan would have been a very broad-based general uprising against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/i-think-within-a-year-or-so-perhaps-if-9-11-had-not-happened-in/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [The Pashtuns feel discriminated against by the Americans because they supported the Taliban and the war is still going on in their region with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/the-pashtuns-feel-discriminated-against-by-the-americans-because-they/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [ I met a lot of the senior Taliban, and I asked them precisely \[about Mullah Omar\]. The most common answer was he is humble.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/i-met-a-lot-of-the-senior-taliban-and-i-asked-them-precisely-about/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) ## More by Ahmed Rashid > [You have a lot of suspicion from the neighbors of Afghanistan about U.S. intentions. Iran is already, to some extent, trying to undermine the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/you-have-a-lot-of-suspicion-from-the-neighbors-of-afghanistan-about-u/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [The idea of a permanent U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, as opposed to an economic presence, is going to create a new wave of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/the-idea-of-a-permanent-u-s-military-presence-in-afghanistan-as/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [“Afghanistan is not only the mirror of the Afghans: it is the mirror of the world. 'If you do not like the image in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/afghanistan-is-not-only-the-mirror-of-the-afghans-it-is-the-mirror-of/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [Pashtun nationalism is reasserting itself. Its political history spans several hundred years. The Pashtuns are angry at the Americans because, one, they're still being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/pashtun-nationalism-is-reasserting-itself-its-political-history-spans/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [There is no way the Americans are going to be able to carry out a full scale war against Iraq and at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/there-is-no-way-the-americans-are-going-to-be-able-to-carry-out-a/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [Our Pakistan elites are spoiled by permanent foreign aid and therefore find it difficult to change course. Pakistan needs someone who stands up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/our-pakistan-elites-are-spoiled-by-permanent-foreign-aid-and/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [“Within a few short, dramatic months Afghanistan had been catapulted into the centre of the intensified Cold War between the Soviet Union and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/within-a-few-short-dramatic-months-afghanistan-had-been-catapulted/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [I am confident that there are hedge funds, banks or investment companies that could allocate five percent of their portfolios for risky investments. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/i-am-confident-that-there-are-hedge-funds-banks-or-investment/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [The Pashtuns feel discriminated against by the Americans because they supported the Taliban and the war is still going on in their region with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/the-pashtuns-feel-discriminated-against-by-the-americans-because-they/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [I think within a year or so, perhaps, if 9/11 had not happened, in Afghanistan would have been a very broad-based general uprising against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/i-think-within-a-year-or-so-perhaps-if-9-11-had-not-happened-in/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [We should remember that the Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Of course, many of them did support the Taliban. But you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/we-should-remember-that-the-pashtuns-are-the-largest-ethnic-group-in/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [What everyone underestimated was the acute unpopularity of the Taliban, even in the Pashtun areas. People like myself were saying the Taliban would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/what-everyone-underestimated-was-the-acute-unpopularity-of-the/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [The Soviets held to the tradition of colonialism. They raped the country and killed many people. But they also built dams, electrical power plants,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/the-soviets-held-to-the-tradition-of-colonialism-they-raped-the/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [ I met a lot of the senior Taliban, and I asked them precisely \[about Mullah Omar\]. The most common answer was he is humble.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/i-met-a-lot-of-the-senior-taliban-and-i-asked-them-precisely-about/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [The West would be well advised to change its approach towards failing states. At present, no major power can find the correct ways and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/the-west-would-be-well-advised-to-change-its-approach-towards-failing/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) [Explore all 33 Ahmed Rashid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) ## More Afghanistan quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The legal system in Afghanistan is very immature and porous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/the-legal-system-in-afghanistan-is-very-immature-and-porous/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) [Browse all 1,159 Afghanistan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "America does not hold to the colonial tradition. 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