In the wake of the international combat mission in Afghanistan, South Asia's security is becoming a factor of increasing importance both to local and more distant great powers: Pakistan, India, Iran, China and the US.

Introduction by Sten Rynning Regional Cooperation in South Asia: A Political and Historical Perspective by Ronald E. Neumann When the Fighting Stays Tough, What will the Tough Do? The Afghan Saga Continues by Vanda Felbab-Brown Capacity-building as Partnership NATO's Future Role by Alessandro Marrone and Paola Sartori Losing the 'Forgotten War': The US Strategic Vacuum in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia by Anthony H. Cordesman Silk Road Diplomacy: China's Strategic Interests in South Asia by Jo Inge Bekkevold and Sunniva Engh India's Afghanistan Policy: In Search of a Comprehensive Strategy by Meena Singh Roy and Christian Wagner Iran, Afghanistan and the Benefits of a Regional Approach by Houchang Hassan-Yari Foreign Policy Change in Pakistan: Uncertain options by Tughral Yamin Afghanistan between Nation-State Building and Regional Collaboration by Mohammad Mansoor Ehsan It's the Strategic Narrative, Stupid! How the United States may Overcome the Challenge of Continued Engagement in Afghanistan beyond 2017 by Peter Viggo Jakobsen Conclusion: South Asia in Quest of Restraint by Sten Rynning

This volume makes a fascinating and interesting study. This is strongly recommended not only for researchers, academia, and graduate students but also for strategic analysts and public policy figures who are frantically engaged in exploring viable pathways to deal with core threats and risks facing South Asia and Afghanistan. * Indian Journal of Asian Affairs *

In the wake of the international combat mission in Afghanistan, South Asia's security is becoming a factor of increasing importance both to local and more distant great powers: Pakistan, India, Iran, China and the US.