Thirteen-year-old Zakia Wardak’s eyes would brighten at the mere sight of her father, as is often the case for well-loved little girls. “Tall, handsome, and a very kind man” is how she describes Gen. Abdul Ali Wardak, who was chief of staff of the Corps of the Afghan army when Soviet-backed forces staged a bloody coup in April 1978.
She was 13 when her father was killed, 40 years ago. Since then, Afghanistan has seen constant violence, and the cost of war has been immense. Impaired by corruption, insecurity, terrorism, and political factionalism, the young democracy today faces immense challenges on its path to normalcy.
