Afghanistan

ZenHalfTimeCrock said:
There was a period when I was absolutely immersed in academic works and reputable journalistic writing about Islam, Islamic history, Middle Eastern politics, Iran, the 'War on Terror', ISIS etc.

You can get addicted to this kind of literature because it is replete with counter-intuitive truths that challenge the popular understanding of, for instance, the dynamics of radicalization, or the portrayal of Islam as some kind of monolithic, inherently intolerant entity.

Of course, Ghost Wars turns out to be one I haven't read (so thanks for the recommendation). And I have never got around to reading books that focus exclusively on either the Taliban and Afghanistan, though I do have Ahmed Rashid's book and Jason Elliot's widely acclaimed An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan sitting unread in my bookcase.

Recently, for various reasons, I haven't been able to keep up with this kind of material. But former FBI interrogator Ali Soufan's The Black Banners Declassified has come out recently and would appear to overlap with the territory covered by Coll. I bought a copy because - having recently watched the deeply flawed but entertaining series Homeland, and the excellent Le Bureau de Legendes (The Bureau), I was curious as to the reality of how real life operatives in the 'War on Terror' go about things. So you may want to check Soufan out.
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Just ordered myself the black banners book.
 
ganganvince said:
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The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War

Craig Whitlock

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“At once page-turning and rigorous, The Afghanistan Papers makes a lasting and revelatory contribution to the record of America's tragic management of our longest war. In transparent and nuanced detail, Whitlock chronicles how American leaders and commanders undermined their country's promises to the Afghans who counted on them and to the U.S. troops who made the ultimate sacrifice after 9/11.”
— Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ghost Wars and Directorate S
 
Vincent van Rough said:
Britain has been involved in Afghanistan since 1740. Never learn the lesson. A sad affair.
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In one of his speeches in his Midlothian campaign c. 1879 Gladstone said "Remember the rights of the savage, as we call him, and that the sanctity of his life in the hill-villages of Afghanistan is as inviolable in the eyes of Almighty God as can be your own."
Ah, well ...
 
Citizen in Pakistan said:
There have been suggestions that Brits were not happy with US unilateral decisions/actions in Afghanistan and were happy to see them get egg on their faces in the manner they did in recent weeks. Further, they want to be involved in post war Afghanistan and have maintained contacts with Taliban for sometime. If you listen to the British Army's Chief recent interviews, he is quiet willing to give Taliban a chance and rightly so.

If the west abondons Afghanistan like it did in the 90's when soviet union fell, they will loose whatever they gained in last 20 years, there will be a massive humantarian crisis, economy will totally shatter and terrorism risk wouldnt diminish. China and Russia would gain a foot hold in Afghanistan as both countries have shown willingness to work with Taliban government.
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Willingness to work with Taliban may not stop the likely bloodbath to follow from midnight tonight. Stranded British, American and certain Afghani citizens are very fearful right now.
 
You'd think they'd want more people that helped them to be brought here so their donors can use them to replace the cheap labour they've lost from leaving the EU.
 
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