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Descent into Chaos

The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia

Author Ahmed Rashid

Paperback

$24.00 US

Penguin Adult HC/TR | Penguin Books

On sale Apr 07, 2009 | 560 Pages | 9780143115571

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The classic account of America's experience in Afghanistan, explaining the rise of the Taliban in the aftermath of America's failed war on terrorism--essential reading to understand the collapse in Afghanistan today.

"[A] brilliant and passionate book."—The New York Review of Books

A blistering critique of American policy—a dire and prescient warning predicting how our disastrous strategies in Central Asia's failing states threaten global stability and will bring devastation to our world.

After September 11th, Ahmed Rashid's crucial book Taliban introduced American readers to that now notorious regime. In this work, he returns to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia to review the catastrophic aftermath of America's failed war on terror. Called "Pakistan's best and bravest reporter" by Christopher Hitchens, Rashid has shown himself to be a voice of reason amid the chaos of present-day Central Asia. The essential briefing book to understand today's catastrophic headlines.

Descent into ChaosMaps
Countries and Cities of Central Asia
Ethnic Distribution Within Pakistan and Afghanistan
Afghan Provinces and Federally Administered Tribal Areas
NATO Deployment and Provincial Reconstruction Team Locations in Afghanistan, 2007
Opium Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan, 2007
Military Offensives Launched by the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 2007-2008
Glossary
Acronyms

Introduction
Imperial Overreach and Nation Building

Part One: 9/11 And War

1. A Man With A Mission
The Unending Conflict in Afghanistan

2. "The U.S. Will Act Like a Wounded Bear"
Pakistan's Long Search for Its Soul

3. The Chief Executive's Schizophrenia
Pakistan, the United Nations, and the United States Before 9/11

4. Attack!
Retaliation and Invasion

5. The Search for a Settlement
Afghanistan and Pakistan at Odds

Part Two: The Politics of the Post-9/11 World

6. A Nuclear State of Mind
India, Pakistan, and the War of Permanent Instability

7. The One-Billion-Dollar Warlords
The War Within Afghanistan

8. Musharraf's Lost Moment
Political Expediency and Authoritarian Rule

Part Three: The Failure of Nation Building

9. Afghanistan I
Economic Reconstruction

10. Afghanistan II
Rebuilding Security

11. Double-Dealing with Islamic Extremism
Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan

12. Taliban Resurgent
The Taliban Return Home

Part Four: Descent Into Chaos

13. Al Qaeda's Bolt-Hole
Pakistan's Tribal Areas

14. America Shows The Way
The Disappeared and the Rendered

15. Drugs and Thugs
Opium Fuels the Insurgency

16. Who Lost Uzbekistan?
Tyranny in Central Asia

17. The Taliban Offensive
Battling for Control of Afghanistan, 2006-2007

18. The Death of an Icon
Pakistan Struggles to Survive

19. Conclusion
A Fragile Future

Acknowledgments
Notes
Suggested Reading
Index

WINNER
Arthur Ross Book Award
WINNER
Asia Society Award Nominee
WINNER
Lionel Gelber Prize

Ahmed Rashid is a journalist who has been covering Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia for more than 20 years. He is a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, Far Eastern Economic Review, Daily Telegraph, and the Nation, a leading newspaper in Pakistan. His #1 New York Times bestseller Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia has been translated into more than 20 languages. Rashid’s other works include Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, and Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia. View titles by Ahmed Rashid

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