On the sidelines, China, Iran, and Russia look to Afghanistan for opportunities to help themselves, and crimp the United States. The Americans, meanwhile, are preparing to retreat from a decade of war in the Afghan hills and valleys.
新德里—南亚充斥着多边对抗和相互怀疑。印度不相信巴基斯坦，反之亦然。阿富汗和巴基斯坦处于对立之中。在其他阵线上，中国、伊朗和俄罗斯无不出于自身利益和牵制美国的考虑对阿富汗虎视眈眈。与此同时，美国人正准备从打了十年仗的阿富汗山区和村庄中撤走。