We think of Afghanistan as a nation, but it is not, at least not by our western understanding of the term reports Dan Rather. In truth, Afghanistan is a collection of provinces inhabited by tribes,. Although no ethnic group has a majority, Pashtuns and Tajiks make up roughly 40 and 30 percent of the population, respectively. Hazaras and Uzbeks constitute another 10 percent each. That said, many of the tribes have subsets, and even some of the tribal subsets have subsets. 1
Although civilization here is very old, civility is not. Fiercely held tribal and ethnic loyalties have given rise to grudges, hostilities and hatreds held for centuries, if not for millennia. These are coupled with a split-second readiness to settle quarrels in a deadly fashion.