(originally posted in Political forum)

Two Stars or a 3.5 out of 10

Subtitled "An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan"

I actually finished this book quite a while back, but it was so unremarkable that I didn't get around to reviewing it until now. While the first in the chronological "trilogy" of current books I've read on Afghanistan, the other two being "Jawbreaker" and "Not a Good Day to Die", it is the least interesting of the 3. I'm sure the author is a good CIA operative (Gary Berntsen refers to him as "legendary inside the CIA" in "Jawbreaker") but a repetitive point of this book was the not so scintillating information that he had serious diarrhea during his stay in Afghanistan post 9/11 and that one of his team members was notable for the quality and quantity of his flatulence. The book is mildly interesting and informative but not a good read in my estimation.

The best part of the book is his "Afterword" section where he muses on the potential outcomes of the political situation in Afghani. and abhors the neglect of the United State's political gains there as a result of diverting assets to Iraq.

Sample Quotes:

"Since the late 1980s, as the role of the Soviets on the battlefields of Afghanistan began to significantly diminish, the single most important factor in deciding the outcome of any battle had been defections by individual commanders to the other side at critical moments in the fighting. Discouraged, disheartened commanders were prone to cut their losses and make a deal with the opposing forces. The Taliban, with funding from Pakistan.....and bin Ladin....had been able to buy the majority of their victories.....

There was no shame attached to these defections. Allegiances shifted easily, and defections were generally viewed as making the best of a bad situation."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"While there are positive developments taking place in Afghanistan, progress rests on a shaky foundation. Given the lead the US has taken in Afg. since Sept 2001, moving forward to ensure that the progress already made continues lies with the US government. To make the changes necessary to press forward, this administration must make some serious, difficult choices. Iraq is a problem for which no clear solution exists. The United States is continuing to pour billions of dollars and sacrifice the lives of American soldiers in order to bring peace and democracy to Iraq. This is being done at the expense of Afghanistan, a country where our efforts since Sept 2001 have already achieved the real prospect for peace and democracy, and the hope of scoring a significant blow in the war on terrorism." (written November 2004)

Note to Cool: Another one of those "liberals" who think there has been a monumental lack of leadership and planning in Iraq.

KINKY FOR TEXAS!!!!