Some of the most brutal and long lasting civil wars of our time involve the rapid formation and disintegration of alliances among warring groups as well as fractionalization within them it would be natural to suppose that warring groups form alliances based on shared identity considerations such as christian groups allying with christian groups but this is not what we see. Some of the most brutal and long lasting civil wars of our time those in afghanistan bosnia lebanon and iraq among others involve the rapid formation and disintegration of alliances among warring groups as well as fractionalization within them it would be natural to suppose that warring groups form alliances based on shared identity . Alliance formation in civil wars someofthemostbrutalandlong lastingcivilwarsofourtime those in afghanistan bosnia lebanon and iraq among others involve the rapid formation and disintegration of alliances among warring groups as well as fractionalization within them it would be natural. This book explains the choices behind the double crossings in the afghan civil war and develops a broader theory on alliance formation and group fractionalization in multiparty civil wars it shows that changing sides realigning flipping whatever one may choose to call it is not just the afghan way of war