In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan

In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan

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 â€œwar of a thousand cutsâ€ has now brought the country to its knees. In the Graveyard of Empires is a political history of Afghanistan in the â€œAge of Terrorâ€ from 2001 to 2009, exploring the fundamental tragedy of Americaâ€™s longest war since Vietnam.

After a brief survey of the great empires in Afghanistanâ€•the campaigns of Alexander the Great, the British in the era of Kipling, and the late Soviet Unionâ€•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 countryâ€•killing, capturing, or scattering most of al Qaâ€™idaâ€™s senior operativesâ€•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 Qaâ€™idaâ€™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, Jonesâ€•who has distinguished himself at RAND and was recently named by Esquire as one of the â€œBest and Brightestâ€ young policy expertsâ€•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 farâ€•and what has notâ€•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. 12 maps and charts
Country USA
Brand W. W. Norton & Company
Manufacturer W. W. Norton & Company
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2009-07-06
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780393068986

Country	USA
Brand	W. W. Norton & Company
Manufacturer	W. W. Norton & Company
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2009-07-06
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780393068986

In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan

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