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The Taliban: Afghanistan's Most Lethal Insurgents

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The Taliban: Afghanistan's Most Lethal Insurgents

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Overview

Understand the complexities of the most lethal insurgent group of America's longest war—the Taliban.

• Provides insights from an author with academic training in politics and economics as well as a 30-year defense intelligence community background, including serving as an Army analyst in Afghanistan

• Presents information recently obtained under the Freedom of Information Act

• Analyzes the tribal, religious, political, and international elements of the greater Taliban problem

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313398988
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/17/2014
Series:	Praeger Security International
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	263
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Mark Silinsky, PhD, is a 32-year veteran of the defense intelligence community. He has served as a senior counterinsurgency advisor and counterintelligence analyst in the United States and in Afghanistan.

Foreword Raymond Tarns ix

Preface xiii

Introduction xvii

Abbreviations xix

1 Afghanistan's Landscape, the People, and Islamism 1

2 Enter the Taliban 19

3 The Taliban in Power 29

4 The Taliban in Defeat 45

5 The Taliban's Recovery in Pakistan 81

6 The Taliban Improve Their Tactics and Firepower 101

7 Taliban Inc. 127

8 Affiliated Insurgent Groups and Foreign Connections 137

9 The Counter ins urgency in Afghanistan 157

Afterword: Salafist Dystopia 185

Appendix: Coalition Military Fatalities by Year 189

Notes 191

Bibliography 247

Index 253

From the B&N Reads Blog

Page 1 of

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2014
Silinsky, a 30-year veteran of the defense intelligence community who has served as a senior counterinsurgency adviser and counterintelligence analyst in the United States and in Afghanistan, aims to cover the Taliban from its formation and development to its activities and involvement in current events, focusing on the recent conflict with the United States. The book's first nine chapters outline the geography and culture of Afghanistan, with the other sections proceeding through a historical examination of the political movement, examining the group's tactics, and dealing with its financial underpinnings and the U.S.-led coalition's response to recent activities. Chapters begin with a brief overview placing the discussion at hand in context and end with a short summary. Included are maps, charts, photos, biographies, and other illustrative material to help readers make sense of a complex topic. The volume is thoroughly researched and contains an extensive notes section. VERDICT Covering a perplexing subject succinctly, this is a more academic and up-to-date examination than Ahmed Rashid's best seller, Taliban. It will be useful for students investigating current events and is a valuable addition to collections supporting introductory academic research into contemporary world history or politics.—Samantha Schmehl Hines, Mansfield Lib., Univ. of Montana, Missuola

Library Journal

Covering a perplexing subject succinctly, this is a more academic and up-to-date examination . . . . It will be useful for students investigating current events and is a valuable addition to collections supporting introductory academic research into contemporary world history or politics.” —Library Jourbanal

“Written by an Army intelligence veteran, this work tackles a difficult subject, balancing factual reporting, emotionally charged narratives, basic background information, and deeper explorations of conflict and ideologies. . . . The content is well researched, gives relevant historical context and background of the extremist policies of the Taliban, and describes atrocities committed by terrorists and Americans and resistance to the Taliban. The occasionally dry tone is balanced by short, descriptive profiles of different people, such as a comedian who resisted oppression with humor. . . . The author has a military background, which provides insight and makes this book far less alarmist than The World Almanac of Islamism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2011). . . . The content is general enough for casual reading, and an extensive compilation of notes and a strong bibliography make it a great resource for research. Overall, this is a well-organized, valuable work.” —School Library Jourbanal

“This is a highly comprehensive, informative, and authoritative examination of the origins and evolution of the Taliban. . . . [T]his book serves as an indispensable handbook for those interested in understanding the extent of progress made so far and the likely security challenges that lie ahead.” —Perspectives on Terrorism

“The book to read about The Taliban is Mark Silinsky's The Taliban: Afghanistan's Most Lethal Insurgents. . . . [P]ublished in 2014, it is the best, clearest, most factual, and least biased of the books I have read so far.” —Middle East Forum

“While America's role in the war is coming to an end, this book will be valuable to the small contingent of soldiers and civilians deploying to Afghanistan as well as Americans seeking answers after 13 years of war.” —Parameters

From the Publisher

12/01/2014
Gr 10 Up—Written by an Army intelligence veteran, this work tackles a difficult subject, balancing factual reporting, emotionally charged narratives, basic background information, and deeper explorations of conflict and ideologies. The book covers the origin of the Taliban, its rise to power and decline, and its current status, as well as the security conditions in Afghanistan. The content is well researched, gives relevant historical context and background of the extremist policies of the Taliban, and describes atrocities committed by terrorists and Americans and resistance to the Taliban. The occasionally dry tone is balanced by short, descriptive profiles of different people, such as a comedian who resisted oppression with humor. There are many individuals, groups, and concepts mentioned in each chapter, which can make the narrative challenging to follow, but this is mitigated by the inclusion of charts that clearly breakdown the structure of Taliban organizations, ideologies, and phases of warfare. The author has a military background, which provides insight and makes this book far less alarmist than The World Almanac of Islamism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2011). The handful of images includes evocative sketches and a map of the region. The content is general enough for casual reading, and an extensive compilation of notes and a strong bibliography make it a great resource for research. Overall, this is a well-organized, valuable work.—Susanne Caro, University of Montana Library, Missoula

School Library Journal

The Taliban: Afghanistan's Most Lethal Insurgents

The Taliban: Afghanistan's Most Lethal Insurgents

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Product Details

About the Author

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