PETER TOMSEN
The Russians had invaded Afghanistan and, like the earlier invaders who had also failed, they did not understand the people or their culture. (See {634659}). They tried to impose a centralized Communist government, not realizing that the Afghanistan people were not experienced with any kind of central government. There was some tribal structure but that was mostly a traditional consensus process. Most Afghan men were the “kings” of their own families and did not respond to any other governance though they can be nfluenced by tribal leaders, warlords, and imams.
Peter Tomsen, is a retired American diplomat and educator, serving as United States Special Envoy to Afghanistan from 1989 to 1992, and United States Ambassador to Armenia between 1995 and 1998. Ambassador Tomsen’s thirty-two year diplomatic career emphasized South and Central Asia, Northeast Asia and the former Soviet Union.
