Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
Book Review: Shared values vs Shared interests. US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the rise of Radical Islamic Terrorism
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the best books written about the emergence of religion based terrorism directed against several causes and several societies.
Steve Coll provides a balanced dispassionate analysis and profound insight into the new menace that is powerful enough to challenge peace everywhere.
United States has two kinds of friendships in world politics:
(a) Friendships founded on shared values
(b) Friendships founded on shared interests
Friendships founded on shared values (such as those with UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and Japan) last forever. The friendship does not leave a trail of destruction behind.
Friendships founded on shared interests (such as those with Iran under the Shah, Philippines under Marcos, Pakistan under Zia, Saudi Arabia above oil) last short periods of time but leave a trail of destruction somewhere.
US friendship with two such shared interests has created a monster that is likely to be a greater challenge to peace and security everywhere than anything humanity has seen so far.
Saudi Arabia has been funding radical Islamic groups around the world to appease its domestic constituency of religious right. Saudi donations helped create radical Islamic groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan to attract, train and equip youth who are willing to kill and willing to die.
Pakistan provided an intelligence service that could orchestrate insurgency against a conventional army; provided a limitless supply of youth willing to die for holy causes; and an efficient supply chain of high tech arms.
The Reagan Administration joined hands with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to contain Soviet expansionism. The mission was successful.
But there were unfortunate side effects. US lost interest in the region after the collapse of the Soviet Union. CIA station heads in Islamabad began to dictate US policy in the region instead of the Administration.
The Jihadists, assembled against Soviet Union, did not go home to become investment bankers and stock brokers. They stayed and sought new causes. Fight for Palestine. Fight against America. Fight against the House of Saud. Fight for Islamic rule in Afghanistan. Fight for liberation of Kashmir.
Pakistan had a field day. The ISI could use the jihadists for its favourite causes: Hekmatyar, Taliban, Kashmir. State sponsored terrorism was born. Funding was available from Saudi Arabia and from narcotics trade. State sponsored terrorism gave way to a multinational radical Islamic terrorism when Pakistan tainted every political objective with a religious colour (a lesson learnt from the jihad against Soviets).
It is now possible for a Mullah in a village in Pakistan to issue a fatwah by fax that could motivate a young British Muslim to enroll in an ISI sponsored terrorism training center in Pakistan and undertake a mission to destroy social fabric in a nation that is probably busy with a super bowl.
A foreign policy shaped by shared interests is probably not that good an idea.
This book provides a well researched insight into the rise of radical Islamic terrorism. The best on the subject. Easy to read. Disturbing to think about.
Shall look forward to the next book from Steve Coll.
Book Review: Superlative History of Today's 'Great Game' And How It Led to 9/11
Summary: 5 Stars
In the 19th century, the British and Russian empires played what Rudyard Kipling called the 'Great Game' in southwest Asia: an intriguing blend of two-faced Machiavellian diplomacy, manipulation of tribes north of the Indian subcontinent, and constant, savage warfare.
Steve Coll's richly detailed, superlative narrative history relates the modern version of the 'Great Game.' In this one, Afghanistan became, to its ruin, a surrogate battleground for U.S. - Soviet conflict, and thereafter an incubator for a toxic Islamic jihad that invaded the West and ultimately destroyed the World Trade center.
The parties and candidates have been blaming each other of late for the rise of bin Laden, but Coll's account shows that there is probably blame to go around. The complex, cash-filled, and often cynical and corrupt relationship between the CIA and the Pakistani ISI helped drive the brutal Soviet dictatorship out of Afghanistan after its 1979 invasion. The first Bush Administration's abandonment of Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal helped that country become a failed state. The author's account of the CIA's and Clinton Administration's increasingly intense but sometimes blundering pursuit of bin Laden pains the reader. In the end, through what must have seemed at the time like politically responsible choices, Bill Clinton did not carry out attempts to assassinate or kidnap bin Laden because of the danger to civilians in bin Laden's Tarnak Farm camp.
An informative, compellingly written account of the secret history of how and why we became embroiled in that "unlucky country," Afghanistan, that should inform our political decisions.
Book Review: What an unlucky country
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a superb book and at 738 pages it is a long read and full of information and facts but if the reader can stick it out it is well worth it. Plenty of notes and an impressive bibliography ensure the reader it has been well researched.
The first chapter starts with the attack on the USA consulate by an angry mob in Pakistan in 1979, where the Pakistan military is slow to respond and eventually no one is held accountable leading to much bitterness in the consulate, as the USA Government bends over backwards to accommodate the Pakistan Govt. This trend happens often throughout the next couple of decades leading up to 2001.
This is essentially an excellent account of the history of the CIA in Afghanistan from 1978 until 09/11, with information about the Saudi and Pakistan Intelligence Services involvement in Afghanistan and the cooperation, double dealings and mistrust between the three agencies as each sought to impose their agenda on Afghanistan. However they all agreed that the Soviets had to be booted out of Afghanistan. As one CIA operative said in the early days of the Soviet Union occupation, we will supply weapons in Afghanistan to kill Soviet soldiers; a measure of revenge for Soviet Union involvement in Vietnam of course, of course!!. However this strategy eventually backfires somewhat years later as some USA supplied Stinger missiles end up with the Taliban and other anti USA groups! (including probably Iran of all countries, what kind of deadly game the USA played here). Ironically Gorbachev, before the Soviet withdrawl from Afghanistan tried to warn the USA of the clear danger of Islamic fundamentalist and sought USA co-operation, but was ignored.
Coll also provides an excellent account of the history of the Taliban, Bin Laden, Al Qaeda and the unsung hero of Afghanistan Ahmed Massoud, leader of the Northern Alliance. It is ironic that Massoud saw the threat of Islamic terrorism and Arab jihadists in Afghanistan many years before 09/11 and pleaded for USA help against the Taliban but was brushed off with little assistance as the CIA and the USA Government failed to grasp the significance of what was happening in Afghanistan. As the CIA allowed the Pakistan intelligence to distribute most of the money and weapons supplied by the USA, Massoud unfortunately obtained little of it as the Taliban was favored by Pakistan! Alas the USA rarely challenged Pakistan or Saudi policy in Afghanistan and missed the opportunity of working with Massoud who was a natural ally against Al Qaeda. Were the CIA and USA leaders asleep at the wheel in foreign policy on Afghanistan for too many years? The author thinks so.
With so many competing interests in the world on USA foreign policy l can empathize with it on how difficult the situation in Afghanistan was to manage and make decisions about. Clinton finally saw the threat of Al Qaeda and Bin Laden and did his best to eliminate him but the book mentions several lost opportunities that went begging as the author implies that Clinton was not up the task of forcing the Pentagon to pursue military options, but it is easy to be critical after the event. A few USA officials, notably from the State Dept did see the danger in the CIA policy and action in Afghanistan but their views did not prevail
Coll states that the bells were ringing loud and clear in the months before 09/11 that an attack on US citizens was imminent.
Australian troops over the last two months been involved in their most intense fierce battles since the Vietnam War in search and destroy missions of the Taliban in the Chora district of Southern Afghanistan, with USA airborne fire support. The battle still goes on!
Book Review: this will blow your socks off! great book
Summary: 5 Stars
I probably have never been so depressed about the world after reading this excellent (with good footnotes) account of our CIA/FBI & 'State dept' dealings with terrorism. Very depressing but all sides get hammered here. No partisan hack, (the author) for sure.
RIVITING!!!! He gets inside some of the incidents. Couldn't recommend it highly enough!
barb
Book Review: Excellent! Well researched, well written, worth the time
Summary: 5 Stars
Ghost Wars is a very long read. The reading is fast because it is well written but the book is simply long in length. It is very well researched and it never lost my attention. I now have a better understanding of the history of that part of the world. Overall a very impressive book. Highly recommended!