Understanding the War in Afghanistan

By Joseph J. Collins

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U.S. and allied strategy in Afghanistan is at a crossroads. Fiscal pressures in the West, the end of the surge, the turnover of key areas to Afghan security forces, the drawdown of forces, and the preliminary efforts at reconciliation and reintegration add importance to the study of this topic.

Understanding War in Afghanistan aims to provide military leaders, civil servants, diplomats, and students with the intellectual basis that they need to begin to prepare for further study of or an assignment in Afghanistan. This book analyzes the land and its people, recaps Afghan history, and assesses the current situation. It also examines the range of choices for future U.S. policy toward Afghanistan.

General David Petraeus praises Understanding War in Afghanistan as "an outstanding primer for soldiers and diplomats deploying for their first tour in the shadow of the Hindu Kush; those with extensive time on the ground will find the annotated bibliography full of excellent suggestions for further study."

The author, Joseph J. Collins, a professor at the National War College, is a retired Army Colonel, an Ivy League–educated scholar, and an observer of Afghanistan for over 30 years.

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Contents

• Opening Thoughts
• Preface
• Maps
• Introduction

Chapters

• 1    Land, People, and Culture
• 2    The Struggle for Independence, Modernization, and Development
• 3    The Saur "Revolution and the Soviet-Afghan War, 1978-1989
• 4    Civil War and Advent of the Taliban
• 5    9/11 and the War Against the Taliban Government
• 6    Insurgency: Theory and Practice
• 7    The Second War Against the Taliban and the Struggle to Rebuild Afghanistan
• 8    The Surge
• 9    A Current Assessment and Contending Options
• 10  Conclusion

• Suggestions for Further Reading
• Notes
• About the Author