Extra Credit was published in 2009, at a time when the United States’ war in Afghanistan was at its height. America invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of its global response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 (9/11). At this time, the Taliban, a fundamental Islamist regime, were in control of 90% of the country. The American administration drew a link between Al-Qaeda, the terrorist group responsible for the attacks, and the Taliban administration. Overthrowing the Taliban was a stated aim of the American invasion: Much of its political justification centered around the opportunity to bring democracy to Afghanistan, raising living standards, educational opportunities, and human rights, especially for women and girls.

By 2009, the year of Extra Credit’s publication, some of these aims had been realized, although modestly and unevenly across the country. The US had supported the creation of the more liberal interim Afghan Transitional Authority from 2002 and huge amounts of Western aid was sent to Afghanistan: The US alone sent $26.7 billion from 2002 to 2009 (Poole, Lydia. Afghanistan: Tracking Major Resource Flows 2002-2010. Developmental Initiatives, 2011). The Afghan economy saw some upturn, educational uptake and employment improved, and poverty and hardship levels were reduced: 2009 marked the first year of intake for university students who came through the post-2002 secondary system and was the first year that girls graduated high school and matriculated university.