September 11 attacks on september 11, 2001 an islamic terrorist group called al qaeda hijacked four passenger airliners and used them to attack the united states. Alqaeda defector alfadl, 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. Soviet war in afghanistan and the beginnings of al qaeda the true roots of osama bin ladens al qaeda network stem from the decadelong conflict that plagued. Dec 05, 2017 top al qaeda leader reported killed in afghanistan in u. Lets take a look at your final book, peter bergen sthe longest war.
The attacks of september 11, 2001 surprised many americans. Mystery and intrigue shroud the life of this books obscure author, whose. Pashto lithographic book cover of fawaidi shariat, by muhammad qasim. This category is for articles on history books with afghanistan as a topic pages in category history books about afghanistan the following 8 pages are in this category, out of 8 total. Apr 27, 2017 on april 27, 2017, vanda felbabbrown testified before the u. Afghan operation afghan police special forces demonstrate their skills during an exercise in the mohammad agha district of logar province. Chapter 1 charts empire building, conventional military operations, and coin in afghanistan in the premodern era, that is, under the mughals. Neither the islamic state nor alqaeda would be where they are today without. From the day to day life of the good soldiers and marines on the front lines to the quest to find osama bin laden, there are books that tell the true story from the people who fought al qaeda and other forces while serving in afghanistan. The establishment of al qaeda, a leading terrorist organization in afghanistan, is credited to osama bin laden and abdullah yusuf azzama biography of osama bin laden.
Losing afghanistan and western pakistan, ahmed rashid, himal south asian, september 2008 seven years on, the usled war on terrorism has left in its wake a far more unstable world than existed on that momentous day. Inside story of osama bin laden and al qaeda in flight by cathy scottclark. In afghanistan, alqaeda is working more closely with the taliban, pentagon says afghan national army soldiers arrive to start an operation outside of kunduz, afghanistan. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan and bin laden by steve coll isbn. Officials said an agreement could be finalized ahead of the afghan. All the groups mentioned above have had a history of close ties to osama bin lad. Crss research fellow for his contribution and hard work that he put in to nal. September 11 attacks on september 11, 2001 an islamic terrorist group called alqaeda hijacked four passenger airliners and used them to attack the united states. Al qaeda 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 al qaeda and simultaneously to the national islamic front, a political group that gave al qaeda leader osama bin laden harbor in sudan in the early 1990s.
Best nonfiction war books, around the world one book from each country, best iraq and afghanistan war books, best books on special forces m. Obama was articulating an oftrepeated white house mantra. From the beginning, coll shows how the cias onagain, offagain engagement with afghanistan after the end of the soviet war. He is a firstclass journalist who probably knows more about alqaeda than anyone else. Discover librarianselected research resources on afghan history from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more. This was not because the taliban itself represented a direct threat to the united states but because al qaedas presence in afghanistan did. This is a timeline of the background of the talibans rise to power.
They also argue that this split creates an opportunity to engage the taliban on two fundamental issues. The jordanian man, thought to be an american asset penetrating al qaeda was brought in the wire of the camp and detonated an explosive belt, killing 7 cia, 1 jordanian intelligence officer, and seriously wounding six others. Pdf from jihad to alqaeda to islamic state researchgate. Yet, even when the islamists came to power in the earlytomid 1990s, they failed to. This book presents an alternative view of alqaidas role in afghanistan, arguing that they were a cohesive organization with clear longterm goals and strategies. Afghanistan, often called the crossroads of central asia, has a long history of turbulence. Al qaedas kandahar training camp probably the largest. An al qaeda agent posing as a double agent killed 7 cia officers in the 2009 khost cia bombing on december 30, 2009. Assessment and outside links summary in explaining the decision to invade iraq and oust saddam hussein from power, the administration asserted, among other justifications, that the regime of saddam hussein had a working relationship with the al qaeda organization. The us technically did not help taliban and alqaeda in sovietafghan war. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books the.
Afghan operation afghan police special forces demonstrate their skills during an exercise in the. Home browse history asian history south asian history afghan history. Nov 02, 2008 on 16 december us secretary of state colin powell declared. 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. America in afghanistan, 20012014 is a 2014 book by carlotta gall. History books can be extremely boring, all dates and names jumbling into a brainnumbing mess. He is the author of seven other books, including on the grand trunk road, the. Al qaeda afghanistan nautilus institute for security. The taliban emerged as a significant force in afghanistan in 1994 when they were assigned by pakistan to protect a convoy in afghanistan, which marked the. In an age in which events in the middle east threaten increasingly to spin out of control, few books could be as timely as this history of afghanistan. Feb 25, 2008 a means toward that end was destroying the taliban government.
There are several books that are excellent in covering different aspects of afghanistans history. Unlike most of the present publications, the objective is not to privilege the last 50 years over the last 500 years of afghanistans history. Library of congress federal research division country profile. Alqaeda is alive and well in afghanistan and pakistan. Top alqaeda leader reported killed in afghanistan in u. Al qaedas kandahar training camp probably the largest in. The best books on alqaeda five books expert recommendations. Bin laden instead established al qaeda the base to fight the u. An egyptian veteran of the afghan jihad who has a rich aural and literary.
Describes the country and its peoples, the perennial struggles between the monarchy and the tribes, and the emergence of the taliban. War and society in afghanistan from the mughals to the. Jan 24, 2018 the taliban was overthrown in the 2001 americanbacked invasion of afghanistan, shortly after bin laden and al qaeda claimed responsibility for the 911 terrorist attacks on the united states. This bibliography contains journal articles, book chapters, books, edited volumes, theses, grey. To a large extent the rashid and schmidt books cover similar ground and reach like. The alqaeda, meaning the base or foundation, was founded to record names of mujahedin and inform the families that have lost their family members a biography of osama bin laden. An alqaeda agent posing as a double agent killed 7 cia officers in the 2009 khost cia bombing on december 30, 2009. This category is for articles on history books with afghanistan as a topic. Al qaedas road to 911 by lawrence wright paperback. The taliban were never completely defeated, however. Based on archaeological evidence, urban civilization began in the region between 3000 and 2000 bc.
The war in afghanistan started in october of 2001 in response to the 911 terrorist attacks on the united states. The enduring conflict between america and al qaeda. The al qaeda, meaning the base or foundation, was founded to record names of mujahedin and inform the families that have lost their family members a biography of osama bin laden. Certainly the finest historical narrative so far on the origins of al qaeda in the. Jan 09, 2017 there are several books that are excellent in covering different aspects of afghanistans history. Mar 27, 20 william dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan from 16thcentury mughal rulers, to daring victorian spies and todays taliban, the travel writer and historian picks his favourites from a rich.
A brief history of afghanistan new internationalist. Waygal road project remained on the books for even longer, taking on a new. The alqaeda mole who infiltrated the cia, joby warrick, new york. Afghanistans top defense official has warned that al qaeda the reason the united states first invaded afghanistan is very active and a big threat in the country. Starting with alexander the great and moving to the early days of the americas entrance in the war, tanner walks the reader through a land where the geography and culture, more than any other place, change the. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan from 16thcentury mughal rulers, to daring victorian spies and todays taliban, the travel writer and historian picks his favourites from a rich. Alqaeda and taliban leaders fled over the porous border into pakistan, where they were able to regroup. Hosseinis engaging coming of age story, set against afghanistan s recent history, is an epic tale of love, betrayal, exile and redemption. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 offers revealing details of the cias involvement in the evolution of the taliban and al qaeda in the years before the september 11 attacks. A cultural and political history makes a serious attempt to survey and analyze the changing political, cultural, and social landscapes of the country from the ancient time to the present. Pages in category history books about afghanistan the following 8 pages are in this category, out of 8 total. Though osama bin laden became one of the most loathed figures in the american psyche, he was once a good friend of the u. The result is plenty of must read books about the war in afghanistan.
The land that is now afghanistan has a long history of domination by foreign conquerors and strife among internally warring factions. List of books about alqaeda ahmed, nafeez mosaddeq 2005. And there is a real presence of isisk in afghanistan that poses a direct threat to our homeland, as well. Further, the book gives a historical perspective on how the competition between secular and religious forces have shaped the rise of groups, like alqaeda and. It will be of interest for scholars and academics in the fields of afghan history and politics, islamic fundamentalism, terrorism and international relations, as well as for a general readership. The newsbreaking book that has sent shockwaves through the bush white. The middle east, june 2009 illuminates the broad historical context into which our forces have been. Ten years in afghanistans pech valley united states institute of. It provides meaningful and objective insights into governance, state legitimacy, social and economic development, and foreign interventions, and. List of books and articles about taliban online research. This brief history of the taliban speaks of its ties with alqaeda, pakistan and the united states, and its designs on islam through mullah muhammad omar. A means toward that end was destroying the taliban government. Alqaeda centralbased in afghanistan and pakistanhas been weakened dramatically, but affiliates are proliferating elsewhere in the world.
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. Yet, he acknowledged that the threat has evolved as alqaeda affiliates and other extremists take root across the middle east and africa. There is no al qaeda in afghanistan veterans today. Read on to understand how the war began in, but not against, afghanistan in 2001, and who the actors are now. This was not because the taliban itself represented a direct threat to the united states but because al qaeda s presence in afghanistan did. After the soviet union intervened in afghanistan in 1979, islamic mujahideen.
A challenged pakistan and its afghan policies jstor. For the first time in the countrys history an elected govern. A direct invasion of afghanistan was therefore not an option. History afghanistans history spans five thousand years and the afghan people have contributed to the emergence of many central asian empires. Peter bergen was able to do what i have never been able to do, which was to actually interview bin laden. Works of art or history books showing human faces or. House of representatives on afghanistans terrorism resurgence, concluding that improving afghan governance, not merely beefing up. Campbell, who oversees the war effort in afghanistan. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden, from the. In the book, she argues that the united states and its allies have been focused on stopping the terrorist activities of alqaeda and its taliban supporters in afghanistan. Jan 17, 2020 the attacks of september 11, 2001 surprised many americans. On 30 december 2009, a jordanian physician named humam khalil albalawi arrived to much anticipation, at a cia base near khost, afghanistan. The taliban subsequently won control of kandahar, and by 1996 they had gained control over much of afghanistan, including kabul, either by force or through forming alliances with other mujahidin. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan and bin.
Taking to twitter on friday after meeting the afghan leadership, democrat senator maggie hassan said, pakistan continues to support and harbour the taliban and, in doing so, continues to support and harbour alqaeda. The article recently published by the washington post, top alqaeda leader reported killed in afghanistan in u. The taliban established a government headed by mullah muhammad omar, the groups spiritual leader and a military leader as well until his death c. To understand afghan society, read before taliban and heroes of the age by david edwards, and afghanistan. The establishment of alqaeda, a leading terrorist organization in afghanistan, is credited to osama bin laden and abdullah yusuf azzama biography of osama bin laden.
Interestingly, that is where abu khalil al sudani, one of al qaedas most senior figures, was killed in july. The united states also began providing financial aid and other assistance to the northern alliance and other opposition groups. Alqaedas footprint inside afghanistan remains a direct threat to u. This about a nonfiction book on afghan history article is a stub.
Apr 27, 2017 alqaedas footprint inside afghanistan remains a direct threat to u. Changed circumstances, such as isiss rise to preeminence within the global jihad. The ancient centers of culture and civilization were influenced by diverse outsiders such as rome, greece, arabia, iran, central asia, india, and china. The us and britain launch air strikes in afghanistan after the taliban refuse to hand over bin laden. Alqaedas presence in afghanistan has not occurred in a vacuum. The united states wanted to act quickly and decisively in order to disrupt al qaeda. Syed saleem shahzad has long been able to penetrate the afghan and pakistani taliban. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books. Oct 31, 2015 campbell explained to the post that the shorabak camps were discovered after a raid this summer on another al qaeda facility in the barmal district of eastern afghanistans paktika province. List of books and articles about afghan history online. Backgrounder the threat of new alqaeda leadership the case of syrias aljoulani une 30 2015 may furthermore offer zawahiri new opportunities for pursuing alqaedas objectives beyond the specific theater in which they currently operate.
Like the old saying goes, when you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail. A newlyreleased list of osama bin ladens bookshelf has revealed the al qaeda leader was obsessed with 911 conspiracy theories and u. And campbell confirmed that the camps were run by al qaeda, with one of them being extraordinarily big. The washington posts dan lamothe provides new reporting on the two large al qaeda training facilities raided by us and afghan forces in the shorabak district of kandahar earlier this month.
Understanding war in afghanistan ndu press national defense. They show that from the mid1990s onward, the taliban and al qaeda diverged far more often than they converged. However, regional warlords and large areas of afghanistan remained beyond the control of the karzai government. The middle east, june 2009 illuminates the broad historical context into which our forces have been drawna carefully researched account. The jordanian man, thought to be an american asset penetrating alqaeda was brought in the wire of the camp and detonated an explosive belt, killing 7 cia, 1 jordanian intelligence officer, and seriously wounding six others.
The cia officers there had been instructed by higher officials to greet balawi. Budihas this paper represents the opinions of the author and should not be taken to represent the views of the department of the army, the department of defense, the united states government, the institute of land warfare, or the association of the united states army or its. Hosseinis engaging coming of age story, set against afghanistans recent history, is an epic tale of love, betrayal, exile and redemption. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. This book introduces and examines the new generation of alqaeda leaders who have been behind. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden from.
1664 1635 1458 28 313 620 1079 1389 195 578 399 29 312 854 358 273 1155 1332 196 1580 660 863 249 1033 1344 192 1042 218 657 1412 509 1233 585 1163 500 832 22 63 838