Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001

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Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001

Editorial Review

To what extent did America's best intelligence analysts grasp the rising threat of Islamist radicalism? Who tried to stop bin Laden and why did they fail? Comprehensively and for the first time, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll recounts the history of the covert wars in Afghanistan that fueled Islamic militancy and sowed the seeds of the September 11 attacks. Based on scrupulous research and firsthand accounts by key government, intelligence, and military personnel both foreign and American, Coll details the secret history of the CIA's role in Afghanistan, the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of bin Laden, and the failed efforts by U.S. forces to find and assassinate bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Steve Coll's Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 offers revealing details of the CIA's involvement in the evolution of the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the years before the September 11 attacks. From the beginning, Coll shows how the CIA's on-again, off-again engagement with Afghanistan after the end of the Soviet war left officials at Langley with inadequate resources and intelligence to appreciate the emerging power of the Taliban. He also demonstrates how Afghanistan became a deadly playing field for international politics where Soviet, Pakistani, and U.S. agents armed and trained a succession of warring factions. At the same time, the book, though opinionated, is not solely a critique of the agency. Coll balances accounts of CIA failures with the success stories, like the capture of Mir Amal Kasi. Coll, managing editor for the Washington Post, covered Afghanistan from 1989 to 1992. He demonstrates unprecedented access to records of White House meetings and to formerly classified material, and his command of Saudi, Pakistani, and Afghani politics is impressive. He also provides a seeming insider's perspective on personalities like George Tenet, William Casey, and anti-terrorism czar, Richard Clarke ("who seemed to wield enormous power precisely because hardly anyone knew who he was or what exactly he did for a living"). Coll manages to weave his research into a narrative that sometimes has the feel of a Tom Clancy novel yet never crosses into excess. While comprehensive, Coll's book may be hard going for those looking for a direct account of the events leading to the 9-11 attacks. The CIA's 1998 engagement with bin Laden as a target for capture begins a full two-thirds of the way into Ghost Wars, only after a lengthy march through developments during the Carter, Reagan, and early Clinton Presidencies. But this is not a critique of Coll's efforts; just a warning that some stamina is required to keep up. Ghost Wars is a complex study of intelligence operations and an invaluable resource for those seeking a nuanced understanding of how a small band of extremists rose to inflict incalculable damage on American soil. --Patrick O'Kelley

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
• Yes, it actually is a page-turner!
  I almost didn't read this book. I mean, it's pretty big. And it didn't really look like it would be the "storytelling" kind of history I had previously been reading. But I went for it. And it was actually quite easy to read the 500-plus pages that chronicle the relationship between the US, Pakistan, and Afghanistan up through September 10, 2001. Despite the fairly detailed information in this book, it was a bit of a page-turner.
  For anyone interested in putting the US-Pakistan relationship (especially... more info
• The best so far on this topic
  A long well written book on that shows how after the failure of Soviet invasion, Afghanistan descended into a battlefield where countries and movements with different ideologies clashed with their respective agendas.
  Although after reading this book, I am not so sure as the writer suggests that a more pro-active US policy have made that much difference in the country unless it was willing to send in ground forces.
  
• Excellent Eye Opening Account of the Secret Ties Between CIA and ISI.
  To me this was one of the best account of dirty secrets of the intelligence agencies. The coordination and communication between CIA and Pakistani Intelligence Agency ISI and the routine betrayal by ISI and misuse of funds. This book also clearly indicates how CIA bet on the wrong horse by backing ISI instead of Northern Front or in particular Ahmed Shah Masood. The book also throws a light about the red tape and American bureaucracy our intelligence community has to deal with and we care more about the... more info
• This is the book if you want to understand Afghanistan
  I am back in Afghanistan for my third tour. If you want to really understand what happened between the Russian invasion and 9-11-2001,
  this is really all you need to read. It explains CIA ops, the Mujahadeen,
  the rise of the Taliban vice the Paki ISI, the civil wars, everything.
  It is a true story told in such compelling fashion that you think you are reading a fiction novel. After the first 10 pages, it's hard to put down.
  I bought a dozen copies to provide my people so they would... more info

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