IMHO Afghanistan will become the setting for a new round of
'the great game' as rising regional powers all flex their muscles. China is an obvious player, but so is Iran with significant tribal/familial ties along a long and porous border. The growth of Iranian cities near to the border and the extensive trade/financial links also point to a significant Iranian involvement. Pakistan is a given for interference given their already deep influence, the huge (and largely ungoverned tribal area) and the rich history of smuggling. Plus, I think the US will seek to retain some significant regional bases in-country to keep Iran/China on their toes. The big unknown is India; Bollywood movies and Indian aid are already flooding into Afghanistan and the rivalry between China/India/Pakistan could well be played out by proxies on Afghan soil. To me, Afgahnistan reminds me of a more primitive and brutal Yugoslavia; it's not really a country - more an imperial device. It's so fractured along tribal and ethnic lines that maybe, just maybe, self determination should be applied and the country dissolved. Not what the bereaved and the injured would want to hear, but just a thought.....