American University of Afghanistan at risk

As the international political landscape shifts, with the U.S.A. response primarily reflecting competitive isolation, soft power diplomacy such as that available in educational partnerships, are at risk. The American University of Afghanistan, established in 2006, appears to be at risk as a result of declining USAID support. Thomas Barfield, President of AUF, indicates, "This has been one of the major projects of the U.S. government on the soft side, the largest and most visible project. If you're willing to pull the plug on that, is that an indication that you're willing to pull the plug on Afghanistan, too? That has implications that go well beyond a year's funding for a particular aid project."