The Art of the Deal

Abstract

The picture of civilian–insurgent relations that emerges from Chapters 2, 3 and 4 is explored more deeply in Chapter 5. Chapter 5 necessarily complicates the more linear and generalized narratives and theories put forth in Chapters 3 and 4, and digs into localized experiences of conflict. This chapter nuances and integrates the preceding discussion, tackling the questions of why some civilians have been more successful in negotiating with the Taliban than others, and why the Taliban’s strategy has varied according to time and place.