Nnnal qaeda afghanistan and the good war books

The literature on al qaeda, and terrorism in general, exploded after the 911 attacks. Jan 26, 2009 most important, what is the relationship between the war against the taliban and the war against al qaeda. Afghanistan war, international conflict beginning in 2001 that was triggered by the september 11 attacks. Citing the need to keep the pressure on al qaeda and for a military strategy. The united states has been fighting a war in afghanistan for over 18 years. The article recently published by the washington post, top alqaeda leader reported killed in afghanistan in u. A brief summary of the soviet invasion of afghanistan in 1979, of the us invasion of iraq in 2003, and how these historic events were related to terrorism, and more specifically to al qaeda and the islamic state. Afghanistan, escalation and the good war springerlink. Alqaeda centralbased in afghanistan and pakistanhas been weakened dramatically, but affiliates are proliferating elsewhere in the world.

Three recent books help explain why, and what washington needs to do next to. Nov 30, 2012 another confusing statement says, the soviet invasion of afghanistanwas a blatant imperialistic act. Although the al qaeda leader osama bin laden is dead and no major attack on the u. In his diaries, abu zubaydah discusses meeting likeminded men in peshawar guesthouses which served as transit points for the aspiring mujahedeen moving on to war in afghanistan. According to the new york times, the taliban and al qaeda have opened a new front in the previously peaceful northern afghanistan. In that meeting, clarke proposed a plan to bomb al qaeda s sanctuary in afghanistan, and to kill bin laden. Unfortunately, neither candidate has stated what he sees as the united states strategic interests in afghanistan. It is led by osama bin laden, a millionaire saudi dissident stripped of his citizenship in 1991. But al qaeda the idea which is the creation of western conservative political classes. Azzam wanted the mujahedeen to continue to fight nonmuslims. Al qaeda, afghanistan and the good war outside the box.

But thirteen years later, with osama bin laden dead and al qaeda s operations and leaders dispersed well beyond afghanistan s borders, how can we sum up the main objective of americas longestrunning war. After 18 years, is this afghan peace, or just a way out. What is the relationship between taliban and alqaeda. In the last month, both presidential candidates have stated they wish to send more troops to afghanistan. Al qaeda and what it means to be modern book by john n. The american military intervention was prompted by alqaedas attack on the american homeland from afghanistan. The west has to take a critical look at itself and examine the apparent double standards at work that allow it to attack iraq for possessing weapons of mass destruction but not north korea, whose leader shared saddam husseins megalomaniacal qualities. Americans view the september 11th attacks as the act of an anachronistic and dangerous sect, one that championed medieval and outmoded ideals.

Alqaeda is alive and well in afghanistan and pakistan war. The agreement just signed between the united states and the taliban is an important first step in a complex negotiation to end the war in afghanistan. Barack obama is making the distinction between the bad war in iraq and the good war in afghanistan a centerpiece of his run for the presidency. Weve waged operations to disrupt, dismantle and defeat alqaeda and to degrade the. However, the coalition did not capture bin laden and all of his followers, so the battle against the terrorists continues, while a war torn and ravaged. America and the insurgents of the taliban have been battling for close to 19. The afghanistan war and islamic fundamentalism in the late 1970s the government faced increasing popular opposition to its social policies.

Given the fragmentary nature of government in the country, even if the taliban had wished to hand over bin laden, they were probably not capable of seizing him in order to do so. Good reporting from afghanistan is valuable, providing evidence and perceptions that often elude even a veteran traveler to that complex and hard to get around country. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. Mass mobilization, civil war, and the future of the region nojumi, neamatollah on. The united states also began providing financial aid and other assistance to the northern alliance and other opposition groups. Bergen also uncovers the strategic errors committed on both sidesthe way that alqaeda s bold attack on the united states on 911 actually undermined its objective and caused the collapse of the taliban and the destruction of the organizations safe haven in afghanistan, and how alqaeda is actually losing the war of ideas in the muslim world. Al qaeda is an organisation of islamic militants that has declared holy war on americans, jews and their allies. The emphasis is on all the planning for al qaeda, including on 911, all took place in afghanistan. It talks, obviously, mostly about isis, but it does so in a way that incorporates its entire history, including when it. A sequel of sorts to the good soldiers, this heartbreaking book recounts. Al qaidas membership declining and leadership damaged, but threat remains. Following the soviet withdrawal from afghanistan, he returned to his familys construction business in saudi arabia. There is no al qaeda in afghanistan veterans today. In the wake of the 911 attacks on the united states, the effort to.

A reading list of modern war stories the new york times. The talibans new leadership is allied with al qaeda fdd. In this second part of a twopart interview by government book talk blog editor michele bartram, col. Bin ladens life has received exhaustive scrutiny, as has al qaeda s history. Counterinsurgency in afghanistan and pakistan, 20012011, which covers the causes and consequences of counterinsurgency in that troubled region and recommendations for future american approaches there and in similar operations. List of books and articles about al qaeda online research. May 19, 2014 galls title refers to afghanistans taliban insurgents. He issued a fatwa barring money meant for the afghan resistance. Apr 27, 2017 the estimate of al qaeda operatives in afghanistan was revised upwards to about 300. It is all tidily summed up later in the work with the statement, with a quote repeated from above that capturing or killing bin laden, the terrorist who perpetrated the 911 attack, was the single most important objective of operation enduring. How the afghan jihad went global al jazeera america.

Thomas joscelyn is a senior fellow at the foundation for defense of democracies and the senior editor for fdds long war journal. After much of al qaedas base lost its sanctuary in afghanistan and had to relocate to pakistan, the war in afghanistan became a sideshow for the u. Counterinsurgency in afghanistan and pakistan, 20012011, describes the lessons learned after ten years of war in afghanistan. The perfect failure, shatters the myth that the war in afghanistan is the good war. He was ubiquitous and palpable, both in a physical and a cyberspectral form, to the extent that his death took on something of the feel of an exorcism. It is true that al qaeda fighters have streamed into afghanistan from northern pakistan. Her argument is that pakistans isi is the more dangerous enemy to afghanistan, the u. David cortright this article includes video content. In 2001, when the bush administration launched the invasion, the mission was to destroy al qaeda and the taliban leadership. How the military campaign in afghanistan began with clear aims and robust. Supporters of the war in iraq support the war in afghanistan.

The longest war also draws on these interviews and looks at al qaeda after 911, but most of the text focuses on u. How the good war turned bad national catholic reporter. Yet, he acknowledged that the threat has evolved as alqaeda affiliates and other extremists take root across the middle east and africa. Essay about attacks and alqaeda in northern afghanistan. It could intensify the civil war and bring other regional actors in, said carter malkasian, a former pentagon adviser who spent two years in afghanistan s helmand province as a state. Al qaida was founded by veterans of the war against the soviets in afghanistan.

Buy a cheap copy of al qaeda and what it means to be modern book by john n. However, after the war on terror, al qaeda s leadership has become isolated. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan the guardian. Al qaeda and the road to 911, lawrence wright recounts azzams difficulty in persuading bin laden to steer young fighters departing from the dwindling conflict in afghanistan against the soviets toward other fronts like israel. If the united states encounters difficulties in the war against the taliban, will it still be able to contain not only al qaeda but other terrorist groups. To most casual observers of the war on terror, afghanistan served until recently as a reassuring contrast to the grim and bewildering conflict in iraq the good war as opposed to the. Their relationship has evolved over time, so it hasnt remained static, as often portrayed in the media. A fghanistan has been at war for more than 40 yearslonger than most of the worlds population has been alive. What to read on bin laden and al qaeda foreign affairs. Opponents of the war in iraq also support afghanistan. Whether that matters depends upon the status of al qaeda.

From the afghan peace deal, a weak and pliable neighbor. List of books and articles about afghan history online. When the taliban government of afghanistan refused to extradite al qaeda leader osama bin laden, an americanled coalition went to war with afghanistan, overthrowing the taliban government. Official corruption, fueled by the unchecked opium trade, is whats killing afghanistan, not the taliban not al qaeda. Jul 22, 20 al qaeda not only remains a threat to the united states, but its capabilities and scope are expanding, a new analysis from a respected think tank has concluded. As a result, the leadership has become decentralized, and the organization has become regionalized into several al qaeda groups. The war in afghanistan has become americas longest war not because u. List of books about alqaeda ahmed, nafeez mosaddeq 2005. Andrew exum recommends the best books for understanding the war in afghanistan. The united states won a quick victory, drove the taliban and al qaeda out, and installed a friendly government. The taliban, contrary to popular perception, also did not invite osama bin laden to afghanistan. At the house of martyrs, a place that, he writes in his diaries, he eventually ends up running, abu zubaydah finds the spiritual atmosphere here is good. In the last two years, quite a few books have been published about al qaeda and its leader, osama bin laden.

The conflict is also known as the us war in afghanistan. May 21, 2014 alqaeda not defeated in afghanistan despite death of osama bin laden and other senior leaders, alqaeda remains a threat to american interests due to a deep bench and extensive links to. Obama was articulating an oftrepeated white house mantra. This peace deal with the taliban is not really a peace. Biden afghanistan strategy effect on al qaeda presence. Al qaeda s philosophy calls for the centralization of decision making, while allowing for the decentralization of execution. In the beginning, afghanistan looked like a good war. Multiple al qaeda plots against the west have been traced to the haqqani networks territory. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, previously unpublished archives, and months of experience living and reporting in afghanistan, fairweather traces the course of the conflict from its inception after.

This was one of the primary messages of barack obamas 2008 presidential campaign platform. Government book talk editor michele bartram writes a twopart interview with author col. When it began eight years ago, the war in afghanistan was the right war, the good war, the moral war. This book is very good, i found it extremely entertaining. By 1979 guerrilla opposition forces, popularly called mujahidin islamic warriors, were active in much of the country, fighting both soviet forces and the sovietbacked afghan government. War in afghanistan and iraq teaching childrens literature. Bill roggio is a senior fellow at the foundation for defense of democracies and the editor of fdds long war journal. Al qaeda, afghanistan and the good war john mauldins. Afghanistan is the good war, the one we must continue and escalate, unlike iraq, which was a mistake and a total disaster. This book describes the turbulent political history of afghanistan from the. In late september, the taliban launched an offensive against kunduz, a provincial capital in northern afghanistan, capturing key buildings and freeing hundreds of prisoners from the citys jail.

Al qaedas kandahar training camp probably the largest in. This is an incomplete list of books about al qaeda. To defeat the insurgents, general mcchrystal, the us commander in kabul, has requested 40,000. Which books should i read to understand the history of al. If there is a good war in our time, afghanistan is it. They have also stepped up attacks in their heartland, southern provinces. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. This is a version of the war on terror that has never been told. In the good war, fairweather provides the first full narrative history of the war in afghanistan, from the 2001 invasion to the 2014 withdrawal. Afghanistan had been in a state of almost constant war for 20 years even before the us invaded. It is blamed for thousands of deaths in the 11 september attacks on the us and other attacks around the world. Robert cassidy about his new, critically acclaimed book, war, will, and warlords. The first emir, nasir al wuhayshi, served as osama bin ladens aidedecamp in pre911 afghanistan and eventually rose to become a senior leader in al qaeda s global network. Jan 18, 2012 links between the taliban and al qaeda were retained in the face of a shared enemy following the invasion of afghanistan after the september 11 attacks, an adversary that was selected by al qaeda rather than by the taliban, and which led the latter to become entangled in a war that was not of its choosing.

In the eyes of many, one of the afghan wars virtues has been that nato. The united states invasion of afghanistan occurred after the september 11 attacks in late 2001 and was supported by close us allies. Cassidy, author of the new, critically acclaimed book, war, will, and warlords. And al qaeda has relocated its operations not just into kandahar, but also into helmand. It is the war of necessity, asserts the new york times, to roll back the power of al qaeda and the taliban. After much of al qaeda s base lost its sanctuary in afghanistan and had to relocate to pakistan, the war in afghanistan became a sideshow for the u.

Serving in afghanistan taught me there is no military solution to the countrys problem and theres no end in sight to the 16yearold war. Afghanistan has gone from being the good war that the united states must win to the longstanding burden that, like the british, the soviets and a series of others, it now seeks to unload. The war so far by peter pigott hardcover from dundurn press. This book details both the war in afghanistan as well as the war in iraq by giving geographic information of the two countries, explaining why the wars began, describing what soldiers do on a daily basis, and giving an honest account of what life is like. A selection of books related to the wars in iraq and afghanistan. Afghanistan is riddled with corruption, from top to bottom. In 1987 he split with mak to begin a jihad holy war against israel and western influence in islamic countries. Discover the best afghan war military history in best sellers. More than years after 911, the afghan war is far from over, even if. The third strategic objective that elevating joulani to. This difficult analysis requires balancing incommensurable goods afghan civilian lives lost versus al qaeda network disrupted. Over time, the united states and nato brought about 50,000 troops to afghanistan. In 1979, a year after a coup, the soviet army invaded afghanistan to support its communist government. Alqaidas membership declining and leadership damaged.

This approach makes for a harder read but allows the different views of bin laden and al qaedas history to shine forth, helping the reader understand the organizations complexity. Although the al qaeda leader osama bin laden is dead and no. Unlike the dumb war in iraq, afghanistan was portrayed throughout the 2008 election campaign as the good war, providing obama a foil to demonstrate his toughness on foreign policy. The us has repeatedly misdiagnosed the war in afghanistan. Oct 31, 2015 things change, and what was good here in 2010 or 2011 may not necessarily be good today as far as the enemy. After more than 50 years of war and four years of peace talks, the government and the farc insurgency signed a peace deal in 2016. Alqaeda defector al fadl, who was a former member of qatar charity, testified in court that abdullah mohammed yusef, who served as qatar charitys director, was affiliated to alqaeda and simultaneously to the national islamic front, a political group that gave alqaeda leader osama bin laden harbor in sudan in the early 1990s. In inside alqaeda and the taliban he uses firsthand accounts and his own local knowledge to build up a convincing and compelling picture of the aims and motivation of the leaders and fighters in radical islamic movements. As lawrence wright makes clear in his prizewinning book the. Even more dangerous, neither candidate has expressed a strategic framework for the region. Backgrounder the threat of new alqaeda leadership the case of syrias aljoulani une 30 2015 of a caliphate on june 29, 2014.

Feb 09, 2002 in just war theory, the notion of proportionality boils down to saying that the good sought by the war must outweigh the evil it will produce. Even assuming that bin laden was guilty of masterminding the september 11th atrocities, that is no reason for a war on afghanistan. The war in afghanistan america and the taliban have. In the eyes of many, one of the afghan wars virtues has been that nato has participated as an entity. The third witness, peter bergen, a journalist and senior fellow with the new america foundation, said the number of al qaeda in afghanistan wasnt as important as their influence. Al qaeda allies and affiliate groups, whose stories often proved integral to that of al qaeda and. A true story of war in afghanistan by artyom borovik paperback from faber and faber 2001armor of the afghanistan war by steven zaloga, et al paperback 1992 special order. Al qaeda growing, but less focused on us, study finds. However, well before the shorabak raids, it was evident to those of us closely watching the war in afghanistan that al qaeda was stronger in afghanistan than the official estimates, and was not confined to small areas in the northeast.