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How to Lose a War - Amin Saikal

By Amin Saikal

Release Date: 2024-06-25

Genre: History

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An incisive, authoritative account of the West’s failures in Afghanistan, from 9/11 to the fall of Kabul
 
In 1958, Richard Nixon described Afghanistan as “unconquerable.” On 15 August 2021, he was proven right. After twenty years of intervention, US and NATO forces retreated, enabling the Taliban to return to power. Tens of thousands were killed in the long, unwinnable war, and millions more were displaced—leaving the future of Afghanistan hanging in the balance.
 
Leading expert Amin Saikal traces the full story of America’s intervention, from 9/11 to the present crisis. After an initial swift military strike, the US became embroiled in a drawn-out struggle to change Afghanistan but failed to achieve its aims. Saikal shows how this failure was underlined by protracted attempts to capture Osama bin Laden, an inability to secure a viable government via “democracy promotion” efforts, and lack of wider strategy in the “war on terror.”
 
How to Lose a War offers an insightful account of one of the US’s most significant foreign policy failures—and considers its dire consequences for the people of Afghanistan.

How to Lose a War - Amin Saikal

By Amin Saikal

Release Date: 2024-06-25

Genre: History

(0 ratings)
Read Download
An incisive, authoritative account of the West’s failures in Afghanistan, from 9/11 to the fall of Kabul
 
In 1958, Richard Nixon described Afghanistan as “unconquerable.” On 15 August 2021, he was proven right. After twenty years of intervention, US and NATO forces retreated, enabling the Taliban to return to power. Tens of thousands were killed in the long, unwinnable war, and millions more were displaced—leaving the future of Afghanistan hanging in the balance.
 
Leading expert Amin Saikal traces the full story of America’s intervention, from 9/11 to the present crisis. After an initial swift military strike, the US became embroiled in a drawn-out struggle to change Afghanistan but failed to achieve its aims. Saikal shows how this failure was underlined by protracted attempts to capture Osama bin Laden, an inability to secure a viable government via “democracy promotion” efforts, and lack of wider strategy in the “war on terror.”
 
How to Lose a War offers an insightful account of one of the US’s most significant foreign policy failures—and considers its dire consequences for the people of Afghanistan.

More by Amin Saikal

How to Lose a War

Iran at the Crossroads

Iran Rising

Islam Beyond Borders

Regime Change In Afghanistan

Democracy and Reform in the Middle East and Asia

The Spectre of Afghanistan

Weak States, Strong Societies

The Afghanistan Conflict and Australia’s Role

Zone of Crisis

The Rise and Fall of the Shah

American Democracy Promotion in the Changing Middle East

The Soviet Union As An Asianpacific Power

Afghanistan Conflict and Australia's Role

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