Descent into Chaos: The US & the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan & Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid

Aug 14, 2009

Will rated it

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Recommended to Will by: Claire S

Shelves: military-and-intelligence-non-fic, non-fiction, terrorism, the-bush-administration

Descent Into Chaos is a must read for anyone interested in ongoing events in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the central Asian “stans” that make up one of the most politically volatile areas on earth. Rashid is both a journalist and a participant, having been a member of various groups and committees attempting to address the ongoing conflicts. As such he brings his own personal list of good guys and bad guys, and should be taken with a grain of salt. But the level of detail presented here is impressi...moreDescent Into Chaos is a must read for anyone interested in ongoing events in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the central Asian “stans” that make up one of the most politically volatile areas on earth. Rashid is both a journalist and a participant, having been a member of various groups and committees attempting to address the ongoing conflicts. As such he brings his own personal list of good guys and bad guys, and should be taken with a grain of salt. But the level of detail presented here is impressive and illuminating.

The main foci in Descent are Pakistan and Afghanistan. Rashid characterizes Pakistan as being unlike other nations, “The epithet that ‘countries have armies, but in Pakistan the army has a country’ came true…” (p 38) He demonstrates over and over the hold the military has over the nation and shows how it has been nearly impossible for civilian rule to come to much when it must always remain subservient to those with all the guns. One of the major organizations within the military is the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate). This is the entity that has been responsible for supporting the Taliban in both Afghanistan and now in Pakistan itself, that has seen to it that massive percentages of aid received from the USA and intended for use in anti-terrorist activities have been diverted to supporting the Taliban and to paying for bolstering Pakistan’s traditional defenses against India.

Despite USA propaganda about a desire for democracy in Afghanistan, American actions have gone in an entirely other direction, offering money to warlords at the expense of the central, Karzai-led government, looking the other way at the burgeoning poppy agriculture that is funding the Taliban and corrupt warlords. The USA did nothing about about Pakistan providing a safe harbor, training, equipment, expertise and personnel for the Taliban, then sending them back in to Afghanistan to wreak havoc on US-supported forces. The USA left wide swaths of the country unpatrolled, thus allowing escaping Taliban an easy exit during the initial bombardments.

I was most taken with the recurring impact of Donald Rumsfeld on events in the area, his pig-headedness in caring not a whit about building back up the nation his army was helping destroy. He consistently made decisions that led to the worst possible outcomes, leading to the situation today, in which Afghanistan remains much less an actual country than a collection of warlords protecting their individual turf, with a national leadership that has compromised so much that there is almost no effective central power to speak of. The poppy crop is doing very nicely, but it could have been otherwise had there been actual investment in developing the available resources to allow and encourage production of non-opium crops.

I learned the most about Pakistan. Rashid makes it very clear, in painful detail, how the country has arrived at today’s precipice, with a resurgent Taliban threatening the existence of what government Pakistan still retains.

Rashid offers considerable discussion of the role of NATO, and the reluctance of most NATO members to contribute much of anything to an attempt to stabilize war-ravaged Afghanistan. If the USA can be counted on to do the right thing, after all other options have been exhausted, European members of NATO can usually be relied on to delay, and limit any contributions they are called on to make, adding impossible conditions and minimal financial support.

Rashid also looks at the situations in the neighboring “stans,” Uzbejkistan, Tajikstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazahkstan. It is not a pretty picture. The entire area is a mess, with evil dictators virtually enslaving their own populations, while enriching themselves and gaining USA support by offering use of their territory as bases for US action in Afghanistan. He even offers an example of how the USA managed to lose all influence with one of these, as Russia and China swooped in to offer support to one psychotic dictator when the US began demanding that the psycho tone it down a bit. Rashid seemed to be saying that the USA had messed up here in losing access to the nation, but he offers no suggestions for what the US might have done to retain its access.

Sometimes Rashid’s judgments are a questionable. He was much impressed with a fellow named Abdul Haq. Rashid sees him as having been a potential leader of Afghanistan, a charismatic leader bent on opposing the Taliban. Yet, despite having no state support, and only personal funding from some American millionaires, Haq pushed ahead with his plans to foment an anti-Taliban insurrection, yet could manage less than three dozen actual fighters. He was soon captured and killed. Surely a truly effective and thoughtful leader would not have made such a rash decision. He must have had a lot less going on within him than Rashid gives him credit for. And if he was so wrong about Haq, one wonders where else Rashid's personal feelings about relevant individuals might have affected his ability to evaluate their intelligence, leadership capacity or motives.

The bottom line here is that the situation in the entire area is intensely depressing. Pakistan is on the edge of becoming a failed state. Afghanistan appears little closer to having a stable, democratic society. The Taliban is the only force in the area that seems to be thriving. Rashid offers only tonics for what one might do. It is clear that opportunities have been lost, and it is not clear that the Obama administration has any better ideas about how to proceed to stabilize the region than Bush did. Hopefully they have a plan.

One item I found very helpful in the book was a collection of maps in the front. I referred to them frequently. It would have been helpful had there been a glossary at the back. There are many acronyms here and I often had to search back several pages to re-discover what some of them meant. But this is a quibble. The book is illuminating and far reaching.
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Apr 25, 2011

Praj rated it

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In a recent news briefing invalidating American criticism of the anti-extremists campaigns in Pakistan; asserts the Pakistani Army chief that the army (Pakistani) has broken the “backbone” of Islamist militants in the country. Gen. Kayani’s high claims on the resourceful operations against the militants were met with ambiguity by political critic, as the country is consistently shaken by terror attacks with a dominant insurgency stirring on the Afghan-Pak borders.

Central ...moreIn a recent news briefing invalidating American criticism of the anti-extremists campaigns in Pakistan; asserts the Pakistani Army chief that the army (Pakistani) has broken the “backbone” of Islamist militants in the country. Gen. Kayani’s high claims on the resourceful operations against the militants were met with ambiguity by political critic, as the country is consistently shaken by terror attacks with a dominant insurgency stirring on the Afghan-Pak borders.

Central Asia is a recent example, where the crucial roles of hard and soft powers were cluttered and mismanaged, resulting in the reproduction of terror fertile lands. The roles of hard power (military or any form of coercive authority) and soft power (Soft power can be wielded not just by states, but by all actors in international politics, such as NGOs or international institutions) are critical in risk management areas and the lackadaisical attitude can be detrimental.

So, when Rashid emphasizes on Central Asia being the “Terrorism Central” and the most volatile sector propagating terrorist philosophers; the probability certainly should not be disregarded. The Central Asian panorama houses nation –states troubled with political and economic disparities with highly porous borders. It is the most under studied and significantly overlooked area in counter-terror policies. Ethnically diverse, impecunious milieu, geographically tedious and politically corrupt makes it one of the muddled impenetrable landscapes.

Chiefly scripted in Musharraf era, it raises question as to why and how Pakistan trickled down to becoming a militant haven.Hounded vastly by troubled bureaucratic governance and the ISI clandestinely supporting terror outfits for strategic benefits is “decapitating political elites and drowning the country in blood”, as Rashid aptly puts it. Moreover, the age-old question of Kashmir that looms in the vulnerable grounds of India-Pak relations does little to hinder the growing terror susceptibilities. Over the years the frequent failure of peaceful strategic talks between the two countries has only fuelled the insurgency in the periphery of Central Asian domain. Rashid speaks as a concerned citizen struggling to find peaceful resolution to the terror pandemonium and laments on missed opportunities that would have helped in curbing the alarming menace. Probing validity of the Iraq War over the actual menace festering at the Afghan border appears reasonable enough to detect the incompetence of imposed foreign policies. The lack of communication and information between the United States, NATO and other major European countries thwarted the reconstruction empowering the people of Afghanistan. On this note, the author claims that at the end the rebuilding of Afghanistan was left to CIA and the Department of Defense; which I found was a bit frenzied. Also, President Karzai’s total dependence on the United States and other major financial institutions to re-build Afghanistan seemed immature. No shameless amount of money can stabilize a structure when the groundwork itself is crippled with treachery and misguidance. Although the concluding passages of the book emphasizes on the fact that the Afghan government must be able to deliver a stable legislative configuration reasonably free of tribalism and bribery; yet it questions the integrity and responsibility of Karzai as a President and a leader to his countrymen. Most of the Asian political landscapes thrive in nasty web of corruption. The influx of foreign currency embracing fraudulent modus operandi of bureaucrats, drug/warlords, ministers and tribal chiefs becomes a deadly unison of political supremacy. The lack of foreign policies and the chaotic nation building in Afghanistan resulted in fertile terror pockets and sheltered dwellings of several extremist leaders. The vicious cycle of opium and heroin trading in the tribal regions of Afghanistan further crippled the economic propelling the landscape in the arms of terrorism. Poor farmers are duty-bound to opium farming by the tribal drug lords as they would rather feed their family than die of hunger. The worst part is when the fertile lands are sprayed by the military; the penurious conditions compel the populace to join various extremist organizations. It is a no-win situation. Terming Uzbekistan as the power keg in defining the role of terrorism in Central Asia and the affinity of terror to proliferate in any kind of political vacuity, it is about time that the political elite of high tier nation-states keep an a vigilance as Islamic extremism flourishes not only in the underprivileged places but also among the erudite and political mind sets
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Aug 28, 2008

Steve Kettmann rated it

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Read the book that many of Obama's advisers are reading or have recently read - and on which they have clearly relied in helping articulate the details of Obama's call for an emphasis on Afghanistan and Pakistan as the "central front in the war on terror." As Raymond Bonner in the Times and at least one reviewer here has complained, the level of detail can at times be daunting, but it's worth sticking with it. The picture is grim, yes, but only when books like this reach a broad reader...more

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Dec 10, 2010

Chris rated it

Most recurring thoughts during the course of reading this thoroughly depressing, infuriating, impassioned - and alternately disheartening and inspiring - book: How in God's name has Rashid managed to continue breathing? followed by His insurance premiums must be through the freaking roof.

Other thoughts gleaned from the pages of Descent, in no particular order:

- The long-suffering Afghanis appear to be an unbelievably resilient people and determined to heal their shattere...more

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Oct 20, 2009

David Lundqvist rated it

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Recommended to David by: Kaput

Shelves: history, politics, current-affairs

Descent into chaos is an intelligent look at the policies of the Bush administration and the EU towards Afghanistan and central Asia.

It begins with a brief history of the British occupation of Pakistan/India and Afghanistan and how the events of this epoch have a lasting influence on the current situation. This is followed by a short history of the soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the U.S backed Mujahedeen resistance. After the Soviet retreat came a war lord power struggle leavi...moreDescent into chaos is an intelligent look at the policies of the Bush administration and the EU towards Afghanistan and central Asia.

It begins with a brief history of the British occupation of Pakistan/India and Afghanistan and how the events of this epoch have a lasting influence on the current situation. This is followed by a short history of the soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the U.S backed Mujahedeen resistance. After the Soviet retreat came a war lord power struggle leaving the door open to a victory by the Taliban. The Taliban story is masterfully told explaining their beginnings, their political philosophy and finally their rule over Afghanistan and their flirtation with Al-Qaeda.

The main section of the book relates to the American lead invasion post 9/11 and the enormous failings of the Bush government. This area is filled with interviews conducted as the events unfolded from people on all sides of the conflict. It gives a startling glimpse of the private reservations of members of the Bush team and the Pakistani government many of them searing at the mistakes but unwilling to stand up in opposition. Rashid is at his best when he reports the facts and it is evident that he is intelligent and willing to do the work in order to provide the fullest picture.

Where the book fails is in his ideas for alternate strategies. I get the feeling that Rashid is overly optimistic about his ideas. He continually says that If America would have just committed a few more troops, or been more enthusiastic about nation building then everything would have been different. Of course this is indeed possible, but I doubt the events would have played out so favourably. Other examples are his treatment of Benazir Butto the fallen leader of the Pakistan People’s Party. Rashid is more than happy to give her the benefit of the doubt even after two failed terms as prime minister and many allegations of corruption (which he insinuates as the imagined work of the ISI), and the idea that if America would have been more forceful in demanding adherence to human rights doctrines and the pursuit of democratic reforms in the central Asian republics. Each of these countries was manned by an oppressive dictator who was looking for international legitimacy through U.S engagement. The trouble is that they valued their grip on power as more important and were willing to fall back into the sphere of Russian and Chinese influence if needs be. While doing the right thing the U.S may well have succeeded in undermining their goals.

While I disagree with many of his ideas his treatment of Pakistan, the ISI and General Musharraff are spot on. The governments of the U.S. and the E.U. could have applied greater pressure on the regime with little fear of repercussions. In the end every side was working was working to forward its own aims to the detriment of the region and global security.

I enjoyed reading Descent into Chaos, I feel that Rashid's work was educational and a pleasure to read. In future I would recommend that he sticks to reporting the facts as in this capacity he is fantastic. The book deserves the praise that it has been given and I look forward to reading his other works.
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Dec 14, 2008

James rated it

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If you only have time to read one book on post-9/11 Afghanistan, Pakistan, and to a lesser extent Central Asia and the subcontinent, this would be the one to buy. Historians and academic courses will start with this book. Dense, well researched, insider journalism from a wise and keen observer of the region and its players, Somehow, this guy gets his enemies to talk to him. I had frequently to wonder why Rashid is still alive. Certainly there's no intelligence agency operating in the region, let...more

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Oct 02, 2011

Jean Tessier rated it

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Shelves: leisure

I read Mr. Rashid's
Taliban
when it came out, right after 2001-09-11. I was
very impressed by his extensive knowledge of that part of the world. As a
journalist, he has been covering Central Asia pretty much since the Soviets
invaded Afganistan in 1979. He has been part of most major events in
Afganistan and Pakistan. He has interviewed pretty much everyone involved in
the region's political scene during those years. He has really deep knowledge
that far surpasses anything I could expect from Weste...more

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Mar 27, 2011

Ben rated it

Rashid obviously is one of the most knowledgable people about the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan and this book is packed full of it. It is a slow read but that's mainly because it's so full of information. It's set up like his first book, Taliban, with a general history of the situation followed by chapters looking at the problems from several relevant angles. Rashid is extremely critical of the entire Bush administration and not for political reasons, but because of their mishandling of ...more

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Apr 30, 2009

Scott rated it

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I had two main reactions to Rashid's book. One was frustration and the other was appreciation. My frustration extended largely from his liberal viewpoint that the war on Afghanistan was a just war and could've gone swimmingly "if only" the various players had made the correct decisions and taken the appropriate actions. His main argument appeared to be that occupation (though he argued that it wasn't) and nation-building can be done successfully "if only" everyone is up fron...moreI had two main reactions to Rashid's book. One was frustration and the other was appreciation. My frustration extended largely from his liberal viewpoint that the war on Afghanistan was a just war and could've gone swimmingly "if only" the various players had made the correct decisions and taken the appropriate actions. His main argument appeared to be that occupation (though he argued that it wasn't) and nation-building can be done successfully "if only" everyone is up front, genuine and on the level. This strikes me as a painfully naïve way of interpreting world events and prescribing solutions. Just as he tried to contextualize Afghanistan with other countries in Central Asia, the U.S. invasion and occupation needs to be contextualized within a discussion of hegemony and capitalism. After the scores of countries the U.S. has invaded, I'm shocked people still think the U.S. actually cares about the Afghan, Iraqi, Guatemalan, Filipino etc., etc. people, and that the "if only" argument is still used.

My other frustration was that there was much that seemed to be missing from the book. There was not much of a discussion of the Taliban or Al-Qaeda, what they thought, how they formed, why they were bad. It was just assumed that they were bad and needed no discussion. I think labeling something as bad and worthy of being opposed without much discussion is dangerous, even if the label is appropriate. I was also troubled by his other labeling of things. He doesn't discuss what jihad means, but again it's taken to be bad. He claims "talib" means "religious student" and "madrassa" means "religious school" when both just mean student and school. He doesn't explain his definition of Islamic "extremism" or "fundamentalism". Finally, in the first three chapters (I stopped after that) I counted 16 claims that I felt warranted footnotes where none existed. It all seemed very attuned to inaccurate Western conceptions and instead of using his book as an opportunity to deconstruct them, he reinforces them, which is unfortunate.

However, I'm still glad that I read the book. I learned much about the area and it is certainly extremely topical. Now hearing about how the Taliban is operating in the Swat Valley makes a lot more sense. It also provoked some thinking about, well, what is the solution, what should be done. I think it goes back to the first readings for class on Hizbullah and Israel. From my perspective, I oppose the US/European occupation, I think Karzai's an inept puppet, I certainly am not a fan of the Taliban or warlords. I know nothing about Afghanistan's civil society. Do I even know enough to have an opinion? It got me thinking and I appreciate that.(less)

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Dec 05, 2011

Christopher rated it

A tremendously outstanding book along the lines of Thomas Ricks' Fiasco that sheds light on the problems Pres. Obama and the U.S. faces in not just Afghanistan, but in the entire region of Central Asia. Rashid's prose is highly articulate, thoroughly researched, and incredibly devastating. By examining the history, current politics, and disheartening consequences of the Western world's foot dragging for the entire region, Rashid makes a compelling case for considering all of Central Asia as the ...more

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Apr 23, 2010

Barbara rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone interested in current events

An extremely well-written and interesting account of the failure of American policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Not only US policy, but also that of the EU and NATO.
From various articles read over the years since 2001, among them some by Rashid in the NYRB, I was aware that there were great problems in the area concerned, but this book gives examples and backing for the disastrous political mistakes made, particularly by the Bush administration, and even more particularly by Rumsfeld. Wh...more

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Feb 16, 2010

Kim rated it

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Ohhh - I almost couldn't keep with this book through the intro - shows which side of the political isle I'm on! but now I'm glad I did. I'm still only about a third of the way through but the author has convinced me he's not just a Bush-hater, that he actually has some knowledge in this department. The author is a Pakistani, which I'm just now learning means he shouldn't really be all that favorably disposed to Afghanistan, but the biggest question rolling around my head at the moment (Rashid ke...more

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Apr 10, 2010

Nivas rated it

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Shelves: new-world-economy, india

Pakistani journalist admits the role of the Pakistani military and the ISI in the growth of terrorism in India and in Afghanistan and responsible for sheltering the Taliban after the Afghanistan war. A good book covering the history of Pakistan and Afghanistan for the past 60 years and the growth of terrorism and the role of the Taliban.

Rashid criticizes Musharaff's policies and the role that the Musharraf govt. has played in sheltering terrorists, the Kargil war. Also describes the political ...more

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Mar 01, 2011

Susan rated it

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Shelves: nonfiction

This book focuses on developments within and between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as Central Asian states, since 9/11; and how those developments have intertwined and connected with U.S. actions and policies in the region. The book is extremely thorough and well documented. It is so dense and thorough, in fact, that it tends to overwhelm the reader with more detailed information than can be readily be digested and processed. What it does succeed in doing is giving the reader an overall pict...more

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Sep 17, 2010

Heather Denkmire rated it

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I've got to admit there were times with this book that I felt I was choking down some nasty tasting medicine. I just felt like I *needed* to get through it. Partially because of the repetition (I've been reading/listening to a lot about the middle world/central Asia) but also because this guy is a hard core reporter and there are a lot of names, a lot of dates, and a lot of activities/occurrences he details.

So, despite zoning out a little more often than I'd care to admit (except I a...more

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Dec 06, 2011

Diane rated it

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This book looks at the recent history of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia and finds it wanting. The book has a journalistic style, as opposed to presenting in-depth analysis. The author is at his best when he explains the history of important figures in the region, such as Hamid Karzai. He does provide some historical depth in this way. However, most of the contemporary analysis is available elsewhere and doesn't add much over what is available through newspapers and news magazines. ...more

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Jul 16, 2010

Kamil Salamah rated it

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The author has clearly shown that at the heart of the failures of US policy, in its so called war on terror, is its reliance on one of the most corrupt nations: Pakistan. This by itself is a reflection of how the government of the USA is itself the master of corruption: thanks to Bush junior and the gang.

The USA has failed its citizens, peoples of the world as a consequence of squandering unimaginable resources by alliances with all types of corrupted regimes and ruthless characters ...more

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Jul 29, 2008

Nikhil rated it

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Recommends it for: those interested in foreign affairs, Central and South Asia in particular.

Shelves: sociopolitical

A clear, methodical treatment of what went wrong with America and NATO's persecution of the war in Afghanistan and a calm portrait of the depraved forces that run Pakistan.

Policy makers would do well to learn from this man's insights.

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Aug 10, 2010

Robert rated it

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This book is essential for understanding our involvement in Central Asia. It resumes where Rashid's last book, "The Taliban", left off. Provides a detailed history of the Afghan war during the Bush years, from 9/11 to Obama's inauguration. The emphasis is on the political and diplomatic history rather than on combat operations. Includes valuable analysis of developments in bordering countries. Is particularly informative on US relations with the "Stans" - the five former...moreThis book is essential for understanding our involvement in Central Asia. It resumes where Rashid's last book, "The Taliban", left off. Provides a detailed history of the Afghan war during the Bush years, from 9/11 to Obama's inauguration. The emphasis is on the political and diplomatic history rather than on combat operations. Includes valuable analysis of developments in bordering countries. Is particularly informative on US relations with the "Stans" - the five former Soviet Republics - our policies towards whom have been mostly neglected by the media, and our bumbling failures there still not widely known. Not surprisingly, Rashid is most enlightening on Pakistan, his native country, which receives as much, if not more, emphasis than Afghanistan does. He provides a detailed account of Musharraf and his manipulation of the Bush administration, of the Pakistani Army's support of Islamic fundamentalism, of the role of the ISI, his intelligence service, in creating and supporting the Taliban, of its involvement in conducting military operations against our troops in Afghanistan. This book is heart-breaking to read - depressing. There are far too many monstrous villains (the warlords, Musharraf, Al-Queda, the drug traffickers) - too many flawed personalities (Karsai, Rumsfield, Cheney, Bush) - too many incredibly dumb mistakes - for the reader to have any hope of a "happy ending". The outcome has already been determined. And infuriating is the thought that it might have been different - different if the Bush administration had not been so arrogant or so simple-minded. But its Afghan policy was driven by the desire to have a "light footprint in country", to use the warlords, including the most brutal, to do the fighting - by its reluctance to do "nation building", leaving that to NATO and the UN, without providing them an environment secure enough to actually do any significant reconstruction - by its complete dependence on the warlords, even after the fall of the Taliban, supporting them even after a central government had been formed when that support made it impossible for Karzai to gain control of the country beyond the city limits of Kabal, when that support made the Afghan government a confederacy of blood-stained war criminals and drug traffickers, each with their own fiefdom, and support foolishly given for only one purpose, to kill "Al-Queda" - not to defeat the Taliban, not to build a Afghan state, not to further human rights. These latter were of little significance, not worth endangering US relations with "our guys". Even worse, the same approach was true of US dealings with Musharaff and the Pakistani ISI. The Bush Administration ignored his suppression of Pakistani democracy - ignored his nuclear weapons program - turned a blind eye to his support of terrorists in Kasmir and India - even to his support of the Taliban - support which included his providing them sanctuary in the Pakistan, and, even worse, giving them weapons and ammunition and intelligence to be used against our troops - used in operations planned and directed by Pakistan's ISI, operations which resulted in the death and wounding of countless numbers of our troops. All this was shamelessly tolerated by the Bush Administration because we needed Pakistan's help in "getting Bin Laden". Sad. Sad. Sad. The president who promised to "rid the world of evil" instead joined it. (less)

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Sep 10, 2010

Nina rated it

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Ahmed Rashid clearly has an insane amount of knowledge about Pakistan and Afghanistan. If one were to be in any way involved in foreign policy with these countries I can't imagine not reading this. Definitely impressive. I, however, struggled through this book a bit. The level of detail was overwhelming to me, to the point that I don't think I retained much of it. I also have one general gripe about his overall message - he seems to take as a given that nation building is the answer to our ...more

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Oct 01, 2010

Barnaby Thieme rated it

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Shelves: history, philosophy, politics, persia-iran

Rashid's "Descent into Chaos" is probably the most important and useful book on current events I've ever read. A highly-acclaimed journalist based in Pakistan, Rashid has been following the Taliban long before they became a household word in the United States, tracking them from their rude origins in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan through their various fortunes in Central Asia to the present day.

In this book Rashid focuses on the geopolitics of Pakistan and Afghanistan ove...moreRashid's "Descent into Chaos" is probably the most important and useful book on current events I've ever read. A highly-acclaimed journalist based in Pakistan, Rashid has been following the Taliban long before they became a household word in the United States, tracking them from their rude origins in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan through their various fortunes in Central Asia to the present day.

In this book Rashid focuses on the geopolitics of Pakistan and Afghanistan over the last 15 years, and the portrait that emerges is a damning one. Unfettered corruption, imperial hubris, belligerent adventurism by the US, and an utter failure of nation building by NATO, the EU, and UN have converged to produce a hotbed of terrorism that only worsens as the years grind on.

Rashid's knowledge of the region is immense. He has traveled extensively throughout Central Asia, sometimes at considerable risk to life and limb. Rashid's relationship with Hamid Karzai dates back more than twenty years, when he was still an unknown resistance organizer unable to enter his own country. He has served in an advisory capacity to several European missions, and has met one-on-one with most of the key players, including Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, and Musharraf.

Anyone who follows international news will be familiar with many of the key events chronicled in this book, but the extraordinary detail and the vividness of Rashid's writing organize a sometimes-confusing sequence of events into a coherent narrative that gives shape to some of the most urgent issues of our time.

Some of the questions I brought to this book were: What is Karzai's character really like? Is he corrupt, or a US puppet, or a decent ruler? Why did the US become so closely involved with Pakistan? What is the nature of Al Qaeda? Is it an actual organization, or is it more of an ideological banner? How does India's ongoing conflict with Pakistan relate to all this? Why did we not ally with democratic India instead of military dictatorship Pakistan? Is there an immanent danger of a Taliban takeover of nuclear-armed Pakistan?

This book answered these questions and many more. A primary focus is Pakistan's instrumental role in creating and sustaining the Taliban and Al Qaeda and the circumstances that produced it. Rashid argues that by allowing a short-sighted and ideologically-dominated Pentagon to absolutely dictate foreign policy in the region, the US pumped massive amounts of money into regional dictatorships in order to gain key strategic access to the region. By directing those funds overwhelmingly toward military aid, the US has essentially funded the Taliban, and by extension, Al Qaeda, throughout the Bush years. That this is so is widely corroborated by media accounts, and is not a matter of dispute by anyone but the most partisan ideologues.

Why have we been willing to act with such outrageous stupidity? Tragically, it looks like the Pentagon believed this to be the most effective way to avoid committing to nation-building in Afghanistan so it could free resources to conduct another, unrelated war in the region, the invasion of Iraq.

It was clear by 2006 that our dismal failure to commit to nation building in Afghanistan along with our unquestioning support of the duplicitous and murderous Musharraf encouraged the resurgence of the Taliban, and all but guaranteed that when we slink out of the region, we will leave it in the Taliban's hands, at least in part.

Instead of fighting our real and deadly enemy, Al Qaeda, we opted to fund their supporters by offering massive support to Pakistan's ISI. Throughout the region we've funded mass murderers, tyrants, and drug-dealing warlords, rather than risk the political fallout associated with building roads, hospitals, and schools. Why this has been our policy, and to what end we chose to ignore a murderous and dangerous foe in order to invade Iraq, is anyone's guess. However, our commitments have not gone unnoticed in the region, and has dramatically increased hatred of the United States, which is correctly perceived as uninterested in the welfare of the great masses of people, who are to be readily sacrificed to brutal thugs on the altar of political expediency.

Post-9/11 policy directed by the Neocon Bush White House emerges from this book as a monstrous parade of abuses, lies, unbridled arrogance, catastrophic shortsightedness, unilateralism, and a bestial disregard for the welfare of the victims of oppressive regimes from Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan to the FATA, where Al Qaeda and the Taliban operate with impunity. All this, at a cost to US taxpayers that exceeds the inflation-adjusted expenditure of World War II. It is perhaps the greatest policy failure in US history, the kind of debacle that ends empires, and there is no end in sight. (less)

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Oct 23, 2010

Salsadancer rated it

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Discourse on the war in Afghanistan and what's really going on in Pakistan, 2001 - 2009. Very detailed; insightful.

"Islamic extremism will flourish in a political vacuum, in the most backward, deprived, and neglected places but also among people who are educated and politically conscious. Central Asia is the new frontier for al Qaeda, and at present there is nobody there effective enough to resist them. As long as Central Asian extremist groups continue to find sanctuary on...more

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May 31, 2011

Katrina rated it

An informative book, but very biased. The author has many winding sentences explaining how, if the Bush administration did "this" or "that," everything would be right and dandy. That may very well be, but it became rather pompous after a while. There was even one sentence in which the author states that he made a direct suggestion to the White House and explicitly because the people in it "didn't take [his] advice," a certain something failed to pan out well.

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Sep 20, 2011

Mike rated it

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It took me a long time to read this book, mainly because of all the names of people and places. It is a complex and very detailed look by a respected Pakistani journalist at the mess that is Pakistan and Afghanistan. That it was largely due to the incredibly inept bungling of the Bush administration I knew before reading the book, but just how culpable, how willingly the administration chose the wrong road each and every time and how thoroughly they played into the hands of al Qaeda and the Ta...moreIt took me a long time to read this book, mainly because of all the names of people and places. It is a complex and very detailed look by a respected Pakistani journalist at the mess that is Pakistan and Afghanistan. That it was largely due to the incredibly inept bungling of the Bush administration I knew before reading the book, but just how culpable, how willingly the administration chose the wrong road each and every time and how thoroughly they played into the hands of al Qaeda and the Taliban was something of a revelation.

Another fact that came out with glaring clarity was just how thoroughly the Bush administration lied to the American people - while Rumsfeld was praising the ability of the warlords to govern Afghanistan and Bush was extolling the wonderful aid Musharaff giving the US in tracking down al Qaeda they were both taking American aid money and using it to clamp down and solidify their own power in the first case or feed the money through the Pakistani army and the ISI intelligence service to the Taliban. The US would have been much better off (and closer to dismembering al Qaeda) if they had invaded Pakistan at the outset, but this would have taken too long since they had something resembling a real army and Bush would have been delayed in his blood lust to invade Iraq.

Telling as well is the insider's view of the lack of coodination in NATO between the countries, and the way their reluctance to get involved at all played out in scenario after scenario where NATO countries tried to do at least some nation-building/rebuilding but a disinterested US turned its back (and closed its wallet) to any meaningful recovery activities for the country's infrastructure or the government.

The author has personal relationships with many of the top players in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and brings a depth of knowledge about the ethnic strife and politics of the area that can only can come from living it, and watching your part of the world being savaged by faraway countries with more money and guns than common sense. (less)

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Oct 12, 2010

Zach rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-books, audio-books, audio-books-2010, afghanistan, international-relations, terrorism

Excellent examination of the war in Afghanistan, however should be read with a grain of salt.

The author presents a very detailed examination of the recent war in Afghanistan from the involvement of Pakistan to problems with NATO and other coalition members.

However, the author does have his own bias. He is a strong supporter of Karzai and this view is often very clear. He rarely criticizes the Karzai regime. For example, he goes on at length about how the west ha...more

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Oct 05, 2009

Anant Singh rated it

Shelves: world-non-fiction

When Bill Clinton briefed President-elect George Bush at the White House in December 2000, he enumerated six major security threats facing the United States. Three were: Al Qaeda, nuclear tensions between Pakistan and India, and Pakistan’s links to the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

The book soul are these three big threats, unfortunately for world all these threats are still at large after 9 years.In his appropriately titled “Descent Into Chaos,” Ahmed Rashid says the Clinton administration b...more

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Aug 12, 2009

Yugaljoshi rated it

As expected from a reputed journalist the book is full of facts and figures. However I have always maintained that each and every data point or historical fact in a non fiction can be countered by other authors. Therefore the acceptability of the data becomes troublesome. However given the repute of the author I am willing to buy his perspective and presentation. A brilliant book overall if anyone wants to know about Central Asia, Afghanistan, Taliban, ISI, CIA and the impotent USA Government fr...more

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Jul 13, 2009

Michael rated it

Shelves: non-fiction

Actually, I think I'd like to give this book 3.5 stars. I think it's a good book to read if you care to know anything about what's going on in that region. Unfortunately, I also think Americans in general don't care. I will definitely be keeping this book around for a future reference. It is filled with information you will not get by watching any American based news agency, and it's nice to get a perspective of things that doesn't come from an American, but from some one who has actually lived ...more

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Apr 25, 2009

Claire S rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: global, g_india-and, politics-learning, religion-morality, id-constructs-race-gender, fiction-not-at-all, fin-econ, war-mltry-conflt-occ, obama-term-1, f_interpretations, f_truth-mixt-q, form_complexia, g_afghanistan, g_pakistan, g_iraq, g_iran, historical, indexia, islam, pol-historical, pol-paradigm-shift-pssbl, pol-luminescent, pov-content_global-of-location, u-s-hist, u-s-hist_military

Great review by Dalrymple here: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22274

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This is a magnificent work of enormous importance, laying bare the multitudes and layers of errors made by all involved in the last 9 years in Afghanistan in particular, and delivering prescriptions for positive change.

‘If we can better understand what has happened before, what has gone wrong, and what needs to go right, as this book attempts to do, then we can better face up to our coll...more

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Apr 12, 2009

Dan Petegorsky rated it

· review of another edition

A great but depressing follow up to Coll's Ghost Wars. Rashid shows just how little the US under Bush learned from the CIA's previous support for the Afghan mujahideen and the resulting "blowback" that led directly to 9/11.

As before, much of the current disaster stems from the ways in which the Pakistani military and intelligence service (ISI) and this time President Musharraf (as opposed to Zia) used the US to enforce their own agendas in the region - but in ways that ult...more

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