Reaping the Whirlwind: Afghanistan, Al Qa'ida and the Holy War

Cut adrift after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Afghanistan has become a political no-man's-land. Historically an artifical buffer state, Afghanistan has in recent years become the geopolitical playground of a variety of competitng interests - the Americans, the Saudis, Russians and Pakistanis, let alone drug barons, arms dealers and oil interests. Afghanistan's unstable and problematic history is now further complicated by the emergence of the Taliban - one of the most conservative and least understood Islamic movements in the world.The Taliban continues to grab the headlines, most notably for their appalling treatment of women, and their connections to Osama bin Laden. Investigative journalist Michael Griffin draws numerous interviews with key protganists, and offers a fasccinating eyewitness picture drawn from three extensive trips to Afghanistan. He paints the fullest picture yet of the Taliban movement, its origins, beliefs, religious and political ethos, and the character and impact of its particular brand of fundamentalism. In the process he reveals the controversial nature of the Taliban's links with the CIA, Saudi Arabia and other vested interests. Who is to blame for the present situation? What conspiracies and collusions led to this pass? The author's conclusion reveals his view of where the smoking gun is pointed. Contents......Page 5 List of Abbreviations......Page 9 Preface......Page 11 Timeline......Page 15 1 The Killing of Najibullah......Page 25 2 City of Night......Page 40 3 Warriors of God......Page 54 4 Mission to Cleanse......Page 72 5 Burning Down the House......Page 87 6 The Zahir Option......Page 102 7 The New Emirates......Page 116 8 Nest of Vipers......Page 129 9 Oblivion's Feast......Page 142 10 Hostages......Page 156 11 Ignoble Grave......Page 171 12 A Fistful of Dollars......Page 189 13 Satellites and Stars......Page 204 14 The Bicycle Thieves......Page 218 15 Mr Sam vs the Food and Beverage Industry......Page 230 16 Head of the Snake......Page 242 17 Manual of a Raid......Page 267 18 The First Circle......Page 287 19 The Storm of Airplanes......Page 307 20 The Road to Kandahar......Page 332 21 The Battle of Shah- i Kot......Page 358 22 The Raw and the Cooked......Page 377 Notes......Page 411 Appendix 1 The Who's Who of the Taliban......Page 440 Appendix 2 Principal Characters......Page 442 A......Page 445 B......Page 446 D......Page 447 G......Page 448 H......Page 449 J......Page 450 K......Page 451 M......Page 452 O......Page 453 P......Page 454 S......Page 455 T......Page 457 U......Page 458 Z......Page 459 Contents 5 List of Abbreviations 9 Preface 11 Timeline 15 1 The Killing of Najibullah 25 2 City of Night 40 3 Warriors of God 54 4 Mission to Cleanse 72 5 Burning Down the House 87 6 The Zahir Option 102 7 The New Emirates 116 8 Nest of Vipers 129 9 Oblivion's Feast 142 10 Hostages 156 11 Ignoble Grave 171 12 A Fistful of Dollars 189 13 Satellites and Stars 204 14 The Bicycle Thieves 218 15 Mr Sam vs the Food and Beverage Industry 230 16 Head of the Snake 242 17 Manual of a Raid 267 18 The First Circle 287 19 The Storm of Airplanes 307 20 The Road to Kandahar 332 21 The Battle of Shah- i Kot 358 22 The Raw and the Cooked 377 Notes 411 Appendix 1 The Who's Who of the Taliban 440 Appendix 2 Principal Characters 442 Index 445 A 445 B 446 C 447 D 447 E 448 F 448 G 448 H 449 I 450 J 450 K 451 L 452 M 452 N 453 O 453 P 454 Q 455 R 455 S 455 T 457 U 458 V 459 W 459 Y 459 Z 459 Afghanistan's unstable history has been further complicated by the emergence of the Taliban - one of the most conservative and least understood Islamic movements. This book provides an account of the background to the ongoing conflict in the area Opdateret til september 2002 og inddrager Osama bin Laden og al-Qaeda samt terrorhandlingerne i USA d. 11. september 2001