Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 (Pulitzer Prize Winner)Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction • A New York Times bestseller “The CIA itself would be hard put to beat his grasp of global events . . . Deeply satisfying.” —The New York Review of Books From the award-winning and bestselling author of Directorate S and The Achilles Trap comes the explosive first-hand account of America's secret history in Afghanistan. To what extent did America’s best intelligence analysts grasp the rising thread of Islamist radicalism? Who tried to stop bin Laden and why did they fail? Comprehensively and for the first time, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll recounts the history of the covert wars in Afghanistan that fueled Islamic militancy and sowed the seeds of the September 11 attacks. Based on scrupulous research and firsthand accounts by key government, intelligence, and military personnel both foreign and American, Ghost Wars details the secret history of the CIA’s role in Afghanistan (including its covert operations against Soviet troops from 1979 to 1989), the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of bin Laden, and the failed efforts by U.S. forces to find and assassinate bin Laden in Afghanistan. |
Contents
V | 21 |
VI | 38 |
VII | 53 |
VIII | 71 |
IX | 89 |
X | 107 |
XI | 125 |
XII | 147 |
XXVI | 353 |
XXVII | 369 |
XXVIII | 371 |
XXX | 397 |
XXXI | 416 |
XXXII | 438 |
XXXIII | 453 |
XXXIV | 473 |
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Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden Steve Coll Limited preview - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
action Afghan Afghanistan agency agents aides allies American Arab army asked attack authority began believed bin Laden bombing border cable called camps Casey Central chief CIA officers CIA's Clarke Clinton close colleagues commanders continued Counterterrorist Center covert Department direct director early East embassy force foreign former going Hekmatyar inside interviews Interviews with U.S. involved Islamabad Islamic Islamist issue jihad Kabul Kandahar kill Laden Langley late later leaders March Massoud meeting military missiles months moved Muslim National Security needed never officers operations Pakistani intelligence Pashtun political president Prince Qaeda radical rebels recalled Saudi Saudi Arabia Schroen secret seemed senior September Soviet staff station Taliban talked Tenet terrorism terrorist threat tion told traveled Turki U.S. officials United wanted Washington weapons White House