Advanced Search Request a Book

ORDERS

Readings Orders 0

DEMANDS

Readings Demands 0

An Enemy We Created the Myth Of the Taliban al Qaeda Merger In afghanistan 1970-2010
[Hardback - 2012]
alex strick van linschoten
On Demand
Availability in 2-4 weeks on receipt of order
List Price: £35
Our Price: Rs.8895 Rs.7561
Standard Discount: 15%
You Save: Rs.1334
Category: History
Publisher: Hurst & Company | ISBN: 9781849041546 | Pages: 320
Shipping Weight: | Dimensions:

Description

There is a widespread belief that the Taliban and al-Qaeda are in many respects synonymous, that their ideology and objectives are closely intertwined and that they have made common cause against the West for decades. Such opinions have been stridently supported by politicians, media pundits and senior military figures, yet they have hardly ever been scrutinised. This is all the more surprising given that the West s present entanglement in Afghanistan is commonly predicated on the need to defeat the Taliban in order to forestall further terrorist attacks worldwide. The relationship between the two groups and the individuals who established them is undeniably complex, and has remained so for many years. Links between the Taliban and al-Qaeda were retained in the face of a shared enemy following the invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks, an adversary that was selected by al-Qaeda rather than by the Taliban, and which led the latter to become entangled in a war that was not of its choosing. This book is the first to examine in detail the relationship from the Taliban s perspective based on Arabic, Dari and Pashtu sources, drawing on the authors many years experience in southern Afghanistan, the Taliban s heartland. They also interviewed Taliban decision-makers, field commanders and ordinary fighters while immersing themselves in Kandahar s society. Van Linschoten and Kuehn s forensic examination of the evolution of the two groups allows the background and historical context that informed their respective ideologies to come to the fore. The story of those individuals who were to become their key decision-makers, and the relationships among all those involved, from the mid-1990s onwards, reveal how complex the interactions were between the Taliban and al-Qaeda and how they frequently diverged rather than converged. An Enemy We Created concludes that there is room to engage the Taliban on the issues of renouncing al-Qaeda and guaranteeing that Afghanistan will deny sanctuary to international terrorists. Yet the insurgency is changing, and it could soon be too late to find a political solution. The authors contend that certain aspects of the campaign, especially night raids and attempts to fragment and decapitate the Taliban, are transforming the resistance, creating more opportunities for al-Qaeda and helping it to attain its goals.

About the Author

Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn are researchers and writers permanently based in Kandahar. They have worked in Afghanistan since 2006, focusing on the Taliban insurgency and the history of southern Afghanistan over the past four decades. They are regular commentators on major western news channels.

Also by the Same Author

View All
The Taliban Reader: War, Islam And Politics
[Paperback - 2018]
alex strick van linschoten
On Demand
Availability in 2-4 weeks on receipt of order
List Price: £30
Our Price: Rs.6295 Rs.5351
Standard Discount: 15%
You Save: Rs.944
An Enemy We Created: The Myth Of The Taliban / Al-qaeda Merger In Afghanistan, 1970-2010
[Paperback - 2014]
alex strick van linschoten
On Demand
Availability in 2-4 weeks on receipt of order
List Price: £25
Our Price: Rs.5495 Rs.4671
Standard Discount: 15%
You Save: Rs.824

Bestsellers in History

View All
Islam: A Short History
[Paperback - 2002]
karen armstrong
In Stock
List Price: £9.99
Our Price: Rs.2145 Rs.1930
Standard Discount: 10%
You Save: Rs.215
The Campaigns Of Alexander
[Paperback - 1971]
arrian
Out of Stock
Availability in 2-4 weeks on receipt of order
List Price: £12.99
Our Price: Rs.2345 Rs.2110
Standard Discount: 10%
You Save: Rs.235
White Mughals: Love & Betrayal In Eighteenth Century India
[Paperback - 2004]
william dalrymple
In Stock
List Price: £16.99
Our Price: Rs.3795 Rs.3415
Standard Discount: 10%
You Save: Rs.380
Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind
[Paperback - 2015]
yuval noah harari
In Stock
List Price: £12.99
Our Price: Rs.2995 Rs.2695
Standard Discount: 10%
You Save: Rs.300
The Histories (Translation)
[Paperback - 2003]
herodotus
Out of Stock
Availability in 4-6 weeks on receipt of order
List Price: $14
Our Price: Rs.2995 Rs.2695
Standard Discount: 10%
You Save: Rs.300
21 Lessons For The 21st Century
[Paperback - 2019]
yuval noah harari
In Stock
List Price: £12.99
Our Price: Rs.2895 Rs.2605
Standard Discount: 10%
You Save: Rs.290
World Order: Reflections On The Character Of Nations And The Course Of History
[Paperback - 2015]
henry kissinger
In Stock
List Price: £10.99
Our Price: Rs.2495 Rs.2245
Standard Discount: 10%
You Save: Rs.250
The Earth Transformed: An Untold History
[Paperback - 2023]
peter frankopan
In Stock
List Price: £16.99
Our Price: Rs.4795 Rs.4315
Standard Discount: 10%
You Save: Rs.480
The Earth Transformed: An Untold History
[Hardback - 2023]
peter frankopan
On Demand
Availability in 2-4 weeks on receipt of order
List Price: £30
Our Price: Rs.7145 Rs.6073
Standard Discount: 15%
You Save: Rs.1072
Inglorious Empire: What The British Did To India
[Paperback - 2017]
shashi tharoor
In Stock
List Price: £10.99
Our Price: Rs.2595 Rs.2335
Standard Discount: 10%
You Save: Rs.260