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Just finished reading this really interesting book written by prominent Pakistani author and journalist
Ahmed Rashid. I seriously recommend this book to anyone who wants to go behind the simplistic portrayal of the Taliban issue often presented by the mainstream media. The only drawback is that it was written before 9/11 and the author simply wrote a new preface post-terrorist attacks. I would have personally gone for a complete re-writing of the book - indeed maybe I would have gone for a sequel!
If I take anything away from this book it is the notion, from a Western perspective, that one must be very careful with whom we go to bed with - we may end up with an unplanned child down the road. That seems to be the moral of the story for all the parties involved either directly or covertly in this saga. A terrible sin of omission has been created by the western powers who were invested in Afghanistan only whilst their overriding interest was to secure a defeat of the Soviet Union. Once the Cold War was over, Afghanistan was allowed to slip off everyone's radar, descend into chaos, and into the vacuum left by the lack of good governance the Taliban rose up as, frankly, the only alternative to anarchy in their country. This is now coming back to haunt regional and international powers big time.
When I look at what decisions are being taken with regards to Iraq, the problem in Sudan, Somalia and other forgotten hot spots and war zones around the world, I am seeing Afghanistan replayed all over again. We do not seem to learn our lessons well.
