Afghanization

[ af-gan-uh-zey-shuhn, -guhn- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a U.S. strategy during the war in Afghanistan of gradually returning political and military control to Afghan forces while withdrawing American troops.
a strategy similar to that used by the United States in Afghanistan, in which political and military control is transferred to local authorities:
the Afghanization of Syria.
the assimilation of various ethnic groups in Afghanistan to Pashtun language and society.
the movement of a large number of Pashtun, the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan, into areas of the country inhabited by other ethnic groups.

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Word History and Origins

First recorded in 1945–50, referring to Soviet involvement in the region; 2005–10 Afghanization fordef 1; 1985–90 Afghanization fordef 3; Afghan ( def ) + -ization ( def )

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Presidents since the end of World War II have invoked the authorizations or claimed other legal justifications for the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, the wars in Afghanization and Iraq and dozens of more limited military strikes abroad — without full-on declarations of war.

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Years ago this same strategy assumed the guise of “Afghanization.”

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Watch out for when they try an “Afghanization” of the war, like the Vietnamization of the Vietnam War.

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The status quo was "a serious breach of the memorandum of understanding," Mr. Karzai was quoted as saying in the statement, and he ordered Afghan officials, including the commander of Bagram, to take "urgent measures to ensure a full Afghanization of the prison affairs and a complete transfer of its authority."

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"In the context of the assassination of the U.S. ambassador in Libya, the uncertainties about Tunisia and Egypt, and the specter of the 'Afghanization' of northern Mali," he wrote this week, "the kingdom appears to be an important, if not essential partner."

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Afghanistan AFib

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