Status
Available
Call number
Publication
München: Droemersche Verlagsanstalt, 2001. (431 p., 2 maps, chronology, chronology, glossary, notes, bibliography; index; 21.5 cm)
Description
Rashid brings the shadowy world of the Taliban into sharp focus. He explains its rise to power, its impact on Afghanistan and the region, its role in oil and gas company decisions, and the effects of changing American attitudes toward the Taliban.
Media reviews
Ahmed Rashid examines the rise of militant Islamic movements in the newly independent states of former Soviet Central Asia. The post-Soviet regimes of the region blame this phenomenon on outside support from the Taliban, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Muslim world. Rashid disagrees,
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arguing strongly that the repressive nature of these regimes, combined with their inability - even unwillingness - to foster economic development, has provided a breeding ground for militant Islamic movements. It is an argument the regimes and their supporters, including the United States, would do well to heed. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member herschelian
After 9/11 I felt I should really understand more about this extremist Islamic movement which has had such a major affect on our world in the past few years. Not the easiest book to read, but eye-opening.
LibraryThing member Ramirez
A good book on the recent history of Afghanistan.
It help us to understand how an insignificant country became the safe harbor of terrorism, making 9/11 possible.
It also tells us how the West has failed in the subsequent period: Bush didn't cared about reconstruction, sparing money and men for the
Rashid is the most authoritative voice in this field and this book may help us to define our opinion on this issue- without either mad militarism or blind isolationism.
It help us to understand how an insignificant country became the safe harbor of terrorism, making 9/11 possible.
It also tells us how the West has failed in the subsequent period: Bush didn't cared about reconstruction, sparing money and men for the
Show More
Iraqi adventure. Thus he enabled Taliban resurgence.Rashid is the most authoritative voice in this field and this book may help us to define our opinion on this issue- without either mad militarism or blind isolationism.
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LibraryThing member gmicksmith
Basic overview of the Taliban but best on documenting the oil interests in the region.
LibraryThing member Hebephrene
Rashid is the most knowledgeable source on Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia. He has done more research and interviewed more of the essential players than anyone else. This history however precedes the arrival of Karzai so it should be considered as a survey of the 90's. Rashid is particularly
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useful in laying out the tribal divisions among the Pashtun, who I had thought were more monolithic and he is also very penetrating when it comes to the attempts by governments and companies to get a pipeline to carry oil and natural gas out of the newly emergent countries of Central Asia. The take away is that whoever deals with Afghanistan loses more in the bargain than they gain and Exhibit A is Pakistan. The ISI , the Pakistani intelligence organization, thought they were running the game and yet when push came to shove the Taliban did what they wanted. Same for the Saudi's. The story could not be more complex since it involves multiple levels from the tribal and ethnic to the broader super-power competitions. To that end I think Rashid's structure did serve his purposes well since he broke down the story by issue. A chapter would be devoted to narcotics, another oil and in consequence you are going back and forth in time repeatedly. One might cover 94-95 from the standpoint of the oil negotiations only to return to the period but now dwelling on another aspect. Of course the topic is infernal so I'm not sure it could be rendered anyway but I found myself unable to remember other aspects of the story when we circled back to a time period. Perhaps it just needs to be re-read. However, the depiction of Pakistan is terrifying and I had little understood just how much the Taliban were an invention of the Madrasses left behind in the wake of war with the Soviets and just how debilitating the Afghan war has been on Pakistan - not that they don't deserve it. It is also frightening that the ISI could overrule the central government and in effect wagged the dog. I think the chess term is Zugzwang where you have to move but if you do you are in checkmate. Such it is in Afghanistan, peace is absolutely essential but completely unattainable and the Taliban, coming out of the petri dish of the extreme Madrasses with no interaction with the world, or women, or even modernity, can neither be avoided or tolerated.Still Rashid is the authority I go to. Show Less
LibraryThing member Qatarjj
An excellent summary of the Taliban and the ethnic and sectarian struggle in Afghanistan. Rashid's analysis in the last chapter is insightful but pre-dates the coalition invasion. The supplement to the last chapter which lists the rules governing women issued by the Taliban following their conquest
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of Kabul is chillingly Orwellian. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sandydog1
Comprehensive and dry at times. It reads like a history book. It IS a history book, as well as a great reference for Afghan political history up until circa 2000.
LibraryThing member gcthomas
A detailed look at the Taliban's origins, history, and policies up to 2000. (Note: This is a review of the first edition; the second edition adds an updated chapter on additional developments 2000–2009.)
The first section of the book covers the history of the movement and how the Taliban came to
Overall I found this an interesting and very informative book. Some parts were a little dry, such as the two chapters describing international oil companies' efforts to build an oil pipeline through Afghanistan. Also, the index had a few errors and omissions, which was occasionally frustrating when trying to refer back to previous information about a given person or faction. But apart from these minor flaws, this is a fascinating, well-organized, and comprehensive treatment of its subject matter.
The first section of the book covers the history of the movement and how the Taliban came to
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control most of Afghanistan's territory by 2000. The second section covers the movement's internal policies, including its interpretation of Islam, treatment of women, drug policy, and connections to Bin Laden. The last section focuses on the Taliban's relations with its regional neighbors and other countries with an interest in the region.Overall I found this an interesting and very informative book. Some parts were a little dry, such as the two chapters describing international oil companies' efforts to build an oil pipeline through Afghanistan. Also, the index had a few errors and omissions, which was occasionally frustrating when trying to refer back to previous information about a given person or faction. But apart from these minor flaws, this is a fascinating, well-organized, and comprehensive treatment of its subject matter.
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LibraryThing member N7DR
This book has sold 1½ million copies... and yet no one at the publisher has bothered to render the English into such as might be used by a native speaker of the language. Far too many sentences had to be read multiple times in order to try to work out what the author (probably) intended to
Perhaps worse, no one has bothered to go through the text and fix the many numerical inconsistencies. One simply cannot trust the numbers, because they are too-frequently inconsistent with others presented elsewhere in the book (or even on the same page).
I really wish that this book was as good as I had expected it to be, because the subject is certainly of considerable importance.
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say.Perhaps worse, no one has bothered to go through the text and fix the many numerical inconsistencies. One simply cannot trust the numbers, because they are too-frequently inconsistent with others presented elsewhere in the book (or even on the same page).
I really wish that this book was as good as I had expected it to be, because the subject is certainly of considerable importance.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000
Physical description
431 p.; 21.5 cm
ISBN
3426272601 / 9783426272602
Local notes
Note: Dieser Ausgabe liegt die überarbeitete zweite Auflage des Jahres 2001 zugrunde.
Quote from page 20:
"Im Laufe der Jahre haben mir die UN-Hilfsorganisationen und die nicht-staatlichen Entwicklungshelfer in ganz Afghanistan immer wieder Unterkunft gewährt und unterstützend mit Ideen und Informationen zur Seite gestanden. Im Bereich der Unterabteilung der Vereinten Nationen zur Koordinierung humanitärer Hilfe in Afghanistan möchte ich vor allem folgenden Personen danken: Martin Barber, Alfredo Witschi-Cestari und Erick de Mul sowie Brigitte Neubacher, die Afghanistan fast ebenso lange eng verbunden ist wie ich. Bei der UN-Flüchtlingskommission danke ich Robert Van Leeuwen, Shamsul Bari, Sri Wijaratne, Jacques Muchet, Rupert Colville und Monique Malha. Der unermüdliche Adan Adar vom World Food Programme verstand die Taliban besser als jeder andere UN-Beamte."
INHALT:
Geleitwort von Heiko Flottau 9
Vorbemerkung und Danksagung 17
Vorwort des Autors zur deutschen Ausgabe 23
Einführung: Afghanistans Gotteskrieger 33
Teil I
Die Geschichte der Taliban-Bewegung
Kapitel 1: Kandahar 1994: Die Ursprünge der Taliban 55
Kapitel 2 :Herat 1995: Gottes unbesiegbare Soldaten 75
Kapitel 3: Kabul 1996: Anführer der Gläubigen 90
Kapitel 4: Mazar-i-Sharif 1997: Massaker im Norden 111
Kapitel 5: Bamian 1998/99: Der immerwährende Krieg 129
Teil 2
Der Islam und die Taliban
Kapitel 6: Herausforderung Islam: Der neuartige Fundamentalismus der Taliban 153
Kapitel 7: Geheime Gesellschaft: Die politische und militärische Organisation der Taliban 172
Kapitel 8: Das verschwundene Geschlecht: Frauen, Kinder und die Kultur der Taliban 186
Kapitel 9 :Vom Heroin berauscht: Die Wirtschaft der Taliban und die Drogen 204
Kapitel 10: Weltumfassender Dschihad: Die Araber-Afghanen und Osama Bin Laden 220
Teil 3
Das neue große Spiel
Kapitel 11: Diktatoren und Ölbarone Die Taliban und Zentralasien, Russland, die Türkei und Israel 241
Kapitel 12: Im Flirt mit den Taliban I: Der Kampf um die Pipelines 1994-96 261
Kapitel 13: Im Flirt mit den Taliban II: Der Kampf um die Pipelines 1997-99 - die USA und die Taliban 280
Kapitel 14: Sieger oder Opfer: Pakistans Afghanistankrieg 299
Kapitel 15: Schiiten gegen Sunniten: Iran und Saudi-Arabien 316
Kapitel 16:Fazit: Afghanistans Zukunft 330
Anhang
Karten 346
Anhang 1: Beispiele von Taliban-Verordnungen 350
Anhang 2: Struktur der Taliban 355
Anhang 3: Chronologie der Taliban 364
Anhang 4: Das neue große Spiel 380
Anhang 5: Glossar afghanischer Begriffe 389
Literaturverzeichnis 391
Anmerkungen 394
Register 417
Quote from page 20:
"Im Laufe der Jahre haben mir die UN-Hilfsorganisationen und die nicht-staatlichen Entwicklungshelfer in ganz Afghanistan immer wieder Unterkunft gewährt und unterstützend mit Ideen und Informationen zur Seite gestanden. Im Bereich der Unterabteilung der Vereinten Nationen zur Koordinierung humanitärer Hilfe in Afghanistan möchte ich vor allem folgenden Personen danken: Martin Barber, Alfredo Witschi-Cestari und Erick de Mul sowie Brigitte Neubacher, die Afghanistan fast ebenso lange eng verbunden ist wie ich. Bei der UN-Flüchtlingskommission danke ich Robert Van Leeuwen, Shamsul Bari, Sri Wijaratne, Jacques Muchet, Rupert Colville und Monique Malha. Der unermüdliche Adan Adar vom World Food Programme verstand die Taliban besser als jeder andere UN-Beamte."
INHALT:
Geleitwort von Heiko Flottau 9
Vorbemerkung und Danksagung 17
Vorwort des Autors zur deutschen Ausgabe 23
Einführung: Afghanistans Gotteskrieger 33
Teil I
Die Geschichte der Taliban-Bewegung
Kapitel 1: Kandahar 1994: Die Ursprünge der Taliban 55
Kapitel 2 :Herat 1995: Gottes unbesiegbare Soldaten 75
Kapitel 3: Kabul 1996: Anführer der Gläubigen 90
Kapitel 4: Mazar-i-Sharif 1997: Massaker im Norden 111
Kapitel 5: Bamian 1998/99: Der immerwährende Krieg 129
Teil 2
Der Islam und die Taliban
Kapitel 6: Herausforderung Islam: Der neuartige Fundamentalismus der Taliban 153
Kapitel 7: Geheime Gesellschaft: Die politische und militärische Organisation der Taliban 172
Kapitel 8: Das verschwundene Geschlecht: Frauen, Kinder und die Kultur der Taliban 186
Kapitel 9 :Vom Heroin berauscht: Die Wirtschaft der Taliban und die Drogen 204
Kapitel 10: Weltumfassender Dschihad: Die Araber-Afghanen und Osama Bin Laden 220
Teil 3
Das neue große Spiel
Kapitel 11: Diktatoren und Ölbarone Die Taliban und Zentralasien, Russland, die Türkei und Israel 241
Kapitel 12: Im Flirt mit den Taliban I: Der Kampf um die Pipelines 1994-96 261
Kapitel 13: Im Flirt mit den Taliban II: Der Kampf um die Pipelines 1997-99 - die USA und die Taliban 280
Kapitel 14: Sieger oder Opfer: Pakistans Afghanistankrieg 299
Kapitel 15: Schiiten gegen Sunniten: Iran und Saudi-Arabien 316
Kapitel 16:Fazit: Afghanistans Zukunft 330
Anhang
Karten 346
Anhang 1: Beispiele von Taliban-Verordnungen 350
Anhang 2: Struktur der Taliban 355
Anhang 3: Chronologie der Taliban 364
Anhang 4: Das neue große Spiel 380
Anhang 5: Glossar afghanischer Begriffe 389
Literaturverzeichnis 391
Anmerkungen 394
Register 417