In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in AfghanistanW. W. Norton & Company, 30/03/2010 - 430 من الصفحات A definitive account of the American experience in Afghanistan from the rise of the Taliban to the depths of the insurgency. After the swift defeat of the Taliban in 2001, American optimism has steadily evaporated in the face of mounting violence; a new “war of a thousand cuts” has now brought the country to its knees. In the Graveyard of Empires is a political history of Afghanistan in the “Age of Terror” from 2001 to 2009, exploring the fundamental tragedy of America’s longest war since Vietnam. After a brief survey of the great empires in Afghanistan—the campaigns of Alexander the Great, the British in the era of Kipling, and the late Soviet Union—Seth G. Jones examines the central question of our own war: how did an insurgency develop? Following the September 11 attacks, the United States successfully overthrew the Taliban regime. It established security throughout the country—killing, capturing, or scattering most of al Qa’ida’s senior operatives—and Afghanistan finally began to emerge from more than two decades of struggle and conflict. But Jones argues that as early as 2001 planning for the Iraq War siphoned off resources and talented personnel, undermining the gains that had been made. After eight years, he says, the United States has managed to push al Qa’ida’s headquarters about one hundred miles across the border into Pakistan, the distance from New York to Philadelphia. While observing the tense and often adversarial relationship between NATO allies in the Coalition, Jones—who has distinguished himself at RAND and was recently named by Esquire as one of the “Best and Brightest” young policy experts—introduces us to key figures on both sides of the war. Harnessing important new research and integrating thousands of declassified government documents, Jones then analyzes the insurgency from a historical and structural point of view, showing how a rising drug trade, poor security forces, and pervasive corruption undermined the Karzai government, while Americans abandoned a successful strategy, failed to provide the necessary support, and allowed a growing sanctuary for insurgents in Pakistan to catalyze the Taliban resurgence. Examining what has worked thus far—and what has not—this serious and important book underscores the challenges we face in stabilizing the country and explains where we went wrong and what we must do if the United States is to avoid the disastrous fate that has befallen many of the great world powers to enter the region. |
المحتوى
Descent into Violence | 3 |
The Mujahideen Era | 23 |
Uncivil War 4 1 | 41 |
The Rise of the Taliban | 52 |
Al Qaidas Strategic Alliance | 69 |
Operation Enduring Freedom | 86 |
Light Footprint | 109 |
Early Successes I 34 | 134 |
Collapse of Law and Order | 163 |
A Growing Cancer | 183 |
The Perfect Storm | 203 |
AThreeiFrontwar | 223 |
National Caveats | 238 |
Afterword | 327 |
1 | 341 |
417 | |
طبعات أخرى - عرض جميع المقتطفات
عبارات ومصطلحات مألوفة
Abdullah Afghan Army Afghan forces Afghan government Afghan National Army Afghanistan American Arab argued assessment assistance attacks Author interview Barno began border British Canadian Central civilian Coalition combat commanders corruption counterinsurgency David Barno December Defense deployed Dobbins efforts Eikenberry establish ethnic fight fighters foreign government’s Hamid Karzai Haqqani Hekmatyar Helmand Helmand Province Herat insurgent groups involved Iran Iraq Islamabad Islamic jihad Kabul Kandahar Khalilzad Khan killed Lieutenant major ment militants Minister Muhammad mujahideen Mullah Omar Musharraf Muslim National Security Archive NATO NewYork November Osama bin Laden overthrow Pakistan Pashtun percent police political poppy President Province Qa’ida leaders Ronald Neumann Rumsfeld rural areas Saudi Arabia Secretary senior U.S. September soldiers stan strategy Taliban regime target terrorist tion tribal troops U.S. ambassador U.S. Army U.S. Department U.S. Embassy U.S. forces U.S. government U.S. military United Nations Washington Zalmay Zalmay Khalilzad Zawahiri