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'United States involvement in wars and humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria since 1990 have all involved coalitions. In 2010-11, U.S. Army colonel James L. Creighton commanded a multinational North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) brigade consisting of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and civilians from nine different countries integrated into tactical formations down to the platoon level. This NATO brigade -Combined Team Uruzgan (CTU)- was responsible for defeating the Taliban insurgency in the provinces of Uruzgan and Daykundi, Afghanistan, and enabling the government of Afghanistan to build a stable society. In this book, leadership lessons resonate from the experiences and stories that the men and women of CTU shared during a year of counterinsurgency operations'--

As night fell on 15 August 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. After a 20-year conflict with the United States, its Western allies and a proxy Afghan government, the Islamic militant group once aligned with al Qaeda was about to bury yet another foreign foe in the graveyard of empires. And for America, the superpower, this was yet another foreign disaster. As cities and towns fell to the Taliban in rapid succession, Western troops and embassy staff scrambled to flee a country of which they had lost control. To the world, Kabul in August looked like Saigon in 1975. August in Kabul is the story of how America's longest mission came to an abrupt and humiliating end, told through the eyes of Afghans whose lives have been turned upside down: a young woman who harbours dreams of a university education; a presidential staffer who works desperately to hold things together as the government collapses around him; a prisoner in the notorious Bagram Prison who suddenly finds himself free when prison guards abandon their post. Andrew Quilty was one of a handful of Western journalists who stayed in Kabul as the city fell. This is his first-hand account of those dramatic final days.

'Those who wonder how the international community failed so dramatically in Afghanistan need look no further … Losing Afghanistan explores the arguments for and against intervention and highlights the difficulty of establishing unity of purpose and effort in such demanding circumstances. Above all, it poses a question: how can we in the West claim we know so much, yet demonstrate in Afghanistan that we understand so little?'– General (retd) Sir Jack Deverell OBE, former Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe'A wonderful book of insightful essays on Afghanistan from an outsider lens.'– Ezatullah Adib, head of research at Integrity Watch Afghanistan and national country representative at the World Association for Public Opinion Research'The strategic question posed by these brilliant essays is: how can the doctrine of liberal intervention be reframed to ensure the West intervenes overseas to manage future humanitarian calamities for reasons beyond just national security?'– Brigadier (retd) Justin Hedges OBE ••• When Taliban forces took Kabul on 15 August 2021, it marked the end of the Western intervention that had begun nearly twenty years earlier with the US-led invasion. The fall of Afghanistan triggered a seismic shock in the West, where US President Joe Biden announced an end to America's involvement in conflicts overseas. In Afghanistan itself it produced terror for the future for those who had worked with and grown up under the coalition-supported administration. Now, with the country spiralling into economic collapse and famine, Losing Afghanistan is a plea for us to keep our gaze on the plight of the people of Afghanistan and to understand how action and inaction in the West shaped the fate of the nation. Why was Afghanistan lost? Can it be regained? And what happens next? Edited by international development expert Brian Brivati, this collection of twenty-one essays by analysts, politicians, soldiers, commentators and practitioners – interspersed with powerful eyewitness testimony from Afghan voices – explains what happened in Afghanistan and why, and what the future holds both for its people and for liberal intervention.

The great nineteenth century French military thinker Ardant du Picq, argued that selfless courage is rooted in a higher moral purpose, and is found among “Elite Souls.” This is a book about five such “Elite Souls,” all highly decorated young West Point graduates and recipients of the USMA‘s Ninninger Medal. Elite Souls outlines the importance of building and developing moral character in military leaders, while arguing that a rigorous academic education is also essential in creating young officers capable of the kind of creative and critical thinking necessary in the complicated wars of the twenty-first century. Dr. Raymond suggests that West Point‘s servant-leader model is critical in fostering the kind of intense selflessness ideally seen between junior officers, their NCOs, and soldiers. Finally, Elite Souls makes the case that inspirational commanding officers are also key. In this book, Dr. Ray Raymond argues that each of the recipients of the Ninninger Award entered West Point primarily for moral reasons and that the Academy's rigorous academic, military, and developmental methods strengthened those values. West Point produced young military leaders who were exceptionally well-educated and trained to deal with the complex challenges of war in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early twenty first century.“

This is the story of our quest for answers and the shocking facts that emerged. On 29 August 2012 Private Robert Poate, Lance Corporal Rick Milosevic, and Sapper James Martin were killed during an insider—or green on blue —attack in Afghanistan. Their killer, a supposed ally, was a Taliban sleeper in the ranks of the Afghan National Army. Information provided to the families by rank-and-file soldiers after the event shocked them. And the heavily redacted internal investigation report excluded a plethora of potentially incriminating facts. This powerful book is the result of a father's quest to find out the truth behind the death of his soldier son. Hugh Poate's search reveals a labyrinth of excuses, denials, half-truths, cover-ups, contrived secrecy, incompetence, negligence, orders not followed, and lessons not learnt. Compelling and enraging, this story of the disturbing facts surrounding the devastating loss of three soldiers continues to reverberate beyond their families to the highest levels of the Australian Defence Force and Government.

Through a unique combination of stunning, captivating images of front line combat and deeply engaging narrative, War Moments brings modern combat alive like no other book ever has. Photographer / Author Ed Darack has published photographs, articles, and books about modern war for some of the world's most highly respected media outlets, including Newsweek (cover photographer and writer of a cover article), Smithsonian's Air & Space magazine (where his a contributing editor and has had two of images used on the magazine's cover and has written three cover articles), and many others. In creating War Moments, Darack has carefully selected his very best images, and has deftly crafted insightful and compelling narrative about each - the most thought-provoking story behind each image.Each image and associated story stands as its own chapter in War Moments. With bold, dynamic imagery, and stunning prose, readers of all walks of life throughout the world will cherish War Moments. Darack's images include those taken from the front lines of the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and during training throughout the world. He's been given unprecedented access throughout his dozens of embeds, including four to Afghanistan and two to Iraq. This book was created for all those interested in the experience of war, and dramatically pulls the reader in through both images and text.

Epicentre du terrorisme mondial depuis les attentats du 11 septembre 2001, théâtre d'opérations pour les armées de l'Otan qui amorcent désormais leur retrait, l'Afghanistan reste en proie à une crise humanitaire chronique nourrie par un conflit qui s'intensifie.En 2012, lorsque Emmanuel Moy débarque pour piloter des projets humanitaires dans les montagnes de l'Hindu Kuch au nord de l'Afghanistan, le pays reste en proie à une crise humanitaire chronique nourrie par un conflit qui s'intensifie. Malgré 20 milliards de dollars d'aide internationale depuis 2002, la population afghane présente une espérance de vie parmi les plus faibles au monde. Epicentre du terrorisme mondial depuis les attentats du 11 septembre 2001, théâtre d'opérations pour les armées de l'Otan qui amorcent désormais leur retrait au profit d'un Etat afghan en devenir, le lieu inquiète comme il fascine. C'est à ce moment précis qu'Emmanuel Moy découvre ces paysages à couper le souffle et ces visages de poètes et de guerriers, à l'image du commandant Massoud, assassiné par Al-Qaeda. Nourri des lectures de Joseph Kessel, des témoignages de la génération Beatnik et de leur hippie trail, au prise avec la vie et la survie d'hommes et de femmes dépassés par les enjeux géopolitiques qui planent au-dessus de leurs têtes depuis les conquêtes d'Alexandre le Grand, des mongols de la Horde d'or ou des Soviétiques, il restitue dans ces chroniques la vie quotidienne d'une capitale et d'un pays dont l'actualité médiatique pourrait nous laisser penser qu'elle les a désertés.L'Afghanistan, un pays à la fois inquiétant et fascinant. Emmanuel Moy restitue, dans ces chroniques, la survie quotidienne d'hommes et de femmes dépassés par les enjeux géopolitiques d'une capitale et d'un pays au coeur de l'actualité médiatique.EXTRAIT« Justice est faite » déclarait le président Barack Obama en annonçant la mort D'Oussama ben Laden en mai 2011, comme une façon de clore dix ans de bras de fer entre les autorités américaines et le leader islamiste d'origine saoudienne. Une décennie durant laquelle l'épicentre de cet affrontement s'est situé sur les terres afghanes. Une décennie de plus durant laquelle la guerre aura été le lot quotidien d'un peuple dont l'avenir n'est pourtant pas réduit à la disparition violente de ben Laden.Quelles sont les raisons de ce constat? Pourquoi, en particulier, la paix et la sécurité n'ont-elles pas progressé?Les mécanismes sont multiples et intriqués en une pelote complexe. En Afghanistan, comme dans la région, perdurent des logiques de fond qui côtoient des intérêts particuliers agissant comme de puissants ingrédients qui entretiennent le conflit.À PROPOS DE L'AUTEUREmmanuel Moy est né en 1973 à Maisons-Alfort. Docteur en Astrophysique, il découvre le monde des ONG dans les territoires palestiniens en 2006 et s'engage au Pakistan, en Indonésie, en Haïti, au Timor. Il est actuellement directeur-adjoint en Afghanistan de Solidarités International.

For many returned service men and women, coming home is when the battle really begins. Read the deeply personal and often hidden stories of 16 special men and women, including Vietnam veterans, peacekeepers, first responders and relatives, whose greatest struggle has been the return to everyday life after service or dealing with the loss of loved ones who lost that battle. Among them is Paul Stewart, whose brother was one of five journalists killed in Balibo while covering the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, Black Hawk helicopter crash survivor Gary Wilson, and Janny and Hugh Poate, whose son was killed by one of the Afghanistan troops he was mentoring. For John Bale, a retired army captain who served in Afghanistan where his friend Lieutenant Michael Fussell was killed in an explosion, the aftermath of war service led to him co-founding Soldier On, an organisation that supports those who have served to assist with their physical and mental health. These are the stories of those who've seen it all, and fought to find a way to live with the aftermath of their experiences. Royalties earned from the sale of Gimme Shelter are being shared with Soldier On.

The first in-depth book that sheds light on Canada's elite warriors who operate in the shadows. In 2001, the Canadian government sent elements of its Joint Task Force 2 counterterrorist unit to Afghanistan to assist the Americans with Operation Enduring Freedom and the global war on terror. Withdrawn a year later, after a brief hiatus JTF 2 returned to Afghanistan in 2005, beginning a continuous tour of duty for Canadian Special Operation Forces (CANSOF) up to the cessation of Canadian combat operations in 2011. This book reveals six untold special operations that CANSOF personnel undertook in their desperate struggle in the shadows to capture or kill Taliban leaders, facilitators, and bomb-makers, as well as efforts to mentor Afghan National Security Forces from 2005 to 2011. The missions highlight that the nation's SOF were no ordinary men.

'Soft'Counterinsurgency reviews the promises and achievements of Human Terrain Teams, the small groups of social scientists that were eventually embedded in every combat brigade in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The US military strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan made use of private military and private security companies on an unprecedented scale. In this environment, actions and operations can greatly affect the efficacy of the US military - creating unintended diplomatic and tactical consequences.

Modern warfare is almost always multilateral to one degree or another, requiring countries to cooperate as allies or coalition partners. Yet as the war in Afghanistan has made abundantly clear, multilateral cooperation is neither straightforward nor guaranteed. Countries differ significantly in what they are willing to do and how and where they are willing to do it. Some refuse to participate in dangerous or offensive missions. Others change tactical objectives with each new commander. Some countries defer to their commanders while others hold them to strict account. NATO in Afghanistan explores how government structures and party politics in NATO countries shape how battles are waged in the field. Drawing on more than 250 interviews with senior officials from around the world, David Auerswald and Stephen Saideman find that domestic constraints in presidential and single-party parliamentary systems--in countries such as the United States and Britain respectively--differ from those in countries with coalition governments, such as Germany and the Netherlands. As a result, different countries craft different guidelines for their forces overseas, most notably in the form of military caveats, the often-controversial limits placed on deployed troops. Providing critical insights into the realities of alliance and coalition warfare, NATO in Afghanistan also looks at non-NATO partners such as Australia, and assesses NATO's performance in the 2011 Libyan campaign to show how these domestic political dynamics are by no means unique to Afghanistan.

Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror offers an in-depth analysis of US/UK military strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 to the present day. It explores the development of contemporary military strategy in the West in the modern age before interrogating its application in the Global War on Terror. The book provides detailed insights into the formulation of military plans by political and military elites in the United States and United Kingdom for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Alastair Finlan highlights the challenges posed by each of these unique theatres of operation, the nature of the diverse enemies faced by coalition forces, and the shortcomings in strategic thinking about these campaigns. This fresh perspective on strategy in the West and how it has been applied in recent military campaigns facilitates a deep understanding of how wars have been and will be fought. Including key terms, concepts and discussion questions for each chapter, Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror is a crucial text in strategic studies, and required reading for anyone interested in the new realities of transnational terrorism and twenty-first century warfare.

In the nine years since the launch of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan has rarely been out of the news. Over a thousand coalition military fatalities have been reported, and many times that number of Afghan civilians. The country is in the process of rebuilding, and yet the fighting continues. Following the success of his previous book, Battlefield Afghanistan, Mike Ryan looks at the state of this war-ravaged nation as Barack Obama finally decides to escalate America's military presence. He considers the current role of coalition troops and the progress being made, or not being made – more than 100 British troops died in Afghanistan in 2009, the highest death toll for any year since the mission began in October 2001 – things are getting worse, not better. The author has unrivalled access not only to commanding officers, but also to the'boots on the ground'. With more than 200 colour photographs and analysis of the situation from those actually doing the fighting, Frontline Afghanistan may help the reader to make up his or her mind about the legitimacy of the conflict and the possible way forward.

Mission Uruzgan provides on-site testimony of the Dutch military mission in Uruzgan, Afghanistan from 2001 to the present day. Proffering fresh data and probing analyses, this extensive examination of a controversial deployment addresses a variety of crucial issues related to Dutch involvement in Afghanistan, from the politicking that led up to the utilization of military tactics to the rules of engagement on the ground. This collection brings together an assortment of learned scholars to deliver a wide range of insights into the problems faced by Dutch soldiers.

This book analyzes the complex causes and effects of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks both domestically and internationally, and examines the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.The first decade of the 21st century witnessed a watershed of political, economic, diplomatic, and military change as a direct result of the events of September 11, 2001. Through narrative chapters, a chronology of events, biographical sketches of principal players, and annotated primary documents, author Tom Lansford documents the domestic impact of the terrorist attacks that stunned the world as well as the subsequent'war on terror'and the invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.9/11 and the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq: A Chronology and Reference Guide explores the origins and aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in both the domestic and international contexts. It addresses the rise of global terrorism and the concurrent histories of Afghanistan, Iraq, and the broader Middle East, as well as the interaction of the United States with the region. Events, trends, groups, and individual players are examined as part of the broader historical context, allowing readers to see the connections between these various elements.

The most comprehensive and gripping account of the Afghan war, by a BBC journalist.The war in Afghanistan is over ten years old. It has cost countless lives and hundreds of billions of pounds. Politicians talk of progress, but the violence is worse than ever. In this powerful and shocking exposé from the front lines in Helmand province, leading journalist and documentary-maker Ben Anderson (HBO, Panorama, and Dispatches) shows just how bad it has got. Detailing battles that last for days, only to be fought again weeks later, Anderson witnesses IED explosions and sniper fire, amid disturbing incompetence and corruption among the Afghan army and police. Also revealing the daily struggle to win over the long-suffering local population, who often express open support for the Taliban, No Worse Enemy is a heartbreaking insight into the chaos at the heart of the region. Raising urgent questions about our supposed achievements and the politicians'desire for a hasty exit, Anderson highlights the vast gulf that exists between what we are told and what is actually happening on the ground. A product of five years'unrivalled access to UK forces and US Marines, this is the most intimate and horrifying account of the Afghan war ever published.

Canadian regimental histories are war stories that provide testimony to the feats of courage and tenacity of Canadians tested in combat or engaged in the sometimes tedious regimen of peace. These regimental histories speak to the collective military heritage and legacy of the country. They are, in fact, windows on our nation and ourselves. This volume, the companion to Establishing a Legacy, the first volume, provides a detailed account of The Royal Canadian Regiments story from 1953 to 2008.The RCRs history after the Korean War paralleled the growth and evolution of Canada through dangerous and trying times, from the brink of nuclear Armageddon to a freefall of global destabilization, economic catastrophe, resurging global terrorism, and the birth of transnational terror networks. The RCR contributed to the victory in the Cold War, participated in the bitter stabilization campaigns of the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia, and fought and bled heavily in the reconstruction and counter-insurgency battle in Afghanistan.

This book examines the justifications for, and practice of, war by the US since 1990, and examines four case studies: the Gulf War, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. The author undertakes an examination of presidential speeches and public documents from this period to determine the focal points on which the respective presidents based their rhetoric for war. The work then examines the practice of war in the light of these justifications to determine whether changes in justifications correlate with changes in practice. In particular, the justificatory discourse finds four key themes that emerge in the presidential discourses, which are tracked across the case studies and point to the fundamental driving force in US motivations for going to war. The four key themes which emerge from the data are: international law or norms; human rights; national interest; and egoist morality (similar too, but wider than,'exceptionalism'). This analysis shows that 9/11 resulted in a radical shift away from an international law and human rights-focused justificatory discourse, to one which was overwhelmingly dominated by egoist-morality justifications and national interest. This book will be of much interest to students of US foreign policy, humanitarian intervention, Security Studies, and IR theory.

A study of the major U.S. military interventions in unconventional war, this book looks at four wars that occurred while the U.S. was a superpower in the post-war WW II period and one in the Philippines in 1898.

This new handbook provides an introduction to current sociological and behavioral research on the effects of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan represent two of the most interesting and potentially troubling events of recent decades. These two wars-so similar in their beginnings-generated different responses from various publics and the mass media; they have had profound effects on the members of the armed services, on their families and relatives, and on the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. Analyzing the effect of the two wars on military personnel and civilians, this volume is divided into four main parts:Part I: War on the Ground: Combat and Its AftermathPart II: War on the Ground: Non-Combat Operations, Noncombatants, and Operators Part III: The War Back Home: The Social Construction of War, Its Heroes, And Its Enemies Part IV: The War Back Home: Families and Youth on the Home FrontWith contributions from leading academic sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, military researchers, and researchers affiliated with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), this Handbook will be of interest to students of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, military sociology and psychology, war studies, anthropology, US politics, and of youth.Steven Carlton-Ford is associate professor of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati. He recently served for five years as the editor of Sociological Focus.Morten G. Ender is professor of sociology and Sociology Program Director at West Point, the United States Military Academy. He is the author of American Soldiers in Iraq (Routledge 2009).

As the battle for Afghanistan intensifies, with the NATO-led coalition seemingly unable to defeat the Taliban, and struggling in its nation building efforts, Afghanistan expert Peter Marsden looks at why it is that the Great Powers, from 19th-century Britain to the 20th-century Soviet Union to 21st-century America, have so often been frustrated in attempting to impose their will on this strategically vital country. In comparing the three interventions, Marsden uncovers a number of similarities. The rhetoric of'development'coming from the capitals of the West has, he finds, a well-established heritage. Every would-be occupier has used some form of aid to try and turn Afghanistan into the kind of country that would suit their geopolitical objectives. Marsden, who has worked with British NGOs in Afghanistan for 20 years, draws on his own experience as well as extensive archive research to establish how these grand interventions appear from the Afghan perspective, and why it is that ordinary Afghans seem to be better off when they are attracting less, not more, attention from the world powers. He argues that the Americans have yet to learn the lessons that the Soviets and the British before them learned: that no amount of financial, military or humanitarian aid will'stabilise'the country if it comes with violence and foreign occupation. Afghanistan - Aid, Armies and Empires offers both an exploration of the relationship between aid and power, and a fresh and original history of Afghanistan through the prism of great power politics.

David Kilcullen is one of the world's most influential experts on counterinsurgency and modern warfare, a ground-breaking theorist whose ideas'are revolutionizing military thinking throughout the west'(Washington Post). Indeed, his vision of modern warfare powerfully influenced America's decision to rethink its military strategy in Iraq and implement'the Surge,'now recognized as a dramatic success. In The Accidental Guerrilla, Kilcullen provides a remarkably fresh perspective on the War on Terror. Kilcullen takes us'on the ground'to uncover the face of modern warfare, illuminating both the big global war (the'War on Terrorism') and its relation to the associated'small wars'across the globe: Iraq, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Thailand, the Pakistani tribal zones, East Timor and the horn of Africa. Kilcullen sees today's conflicts as a complex interweaving of contrasting trends--local insurgencies seeking autonomy caught up in a broader pan-Islamic campaign--small wars in the midst of a big one. He warns that America's actions in the war on terrorism have tended to conflate these trends, blurring the distinction between local and global struggles and thus enormously complicating our challenges. Indeed, the US had done a poor job of applying different tactics to these very different situations, continually misidentifying insurgents with limited aims and legitimate grievances--whom he calls'accidental guerrillas'--as part of a coordinated worldwide terror network. We must learn how to disentangle these strands, develop strategies that deal with global threats, avoid local conflicts where possible, and win them where necessary. Colored with gripping battlefield experiences that range from the jungles and highlands of Southeast Asia to the mountains of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to the dusty towns of the Middle East, The Accidental Guerrilla will, quite simply, change the way we think about war. This book is a must read for everyone concerned about the war on terror.

From interviews with his numerous contacts among the coalition forces stationed in Afghanistan, Mike Ryan has done what journalists have so far been unable to do. Battlefield Afghanistan is the first thorough-going account of the war in the former Taliban state: not the politics behind the conflict, but the actual situation for the men on the ground. Far from simply'keeping the peace,'coalition forces in Afghanistan are currently involved in full-scale warfare with both al-Qaeda militants and the forces of the resurgent Taliban. Battlefield Afghanistan tells the real, inside story of the men under fire, based upon first-hand evidence from members of 3 Para, 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Royal Marines and the Special Forces community, together with the views and experiences of the US and French troops. As their accounts indicate, the hostilities faced have proved to be far greater than was anticipated, and the situation in Afghanistan far more serious than the politicians would like the public to realise.

In October 2004, more than eight million citizens of Afghanistan turned out to vote in the first democratic election in the turbulent, 5,000-year history of the country. This incredible voter turnout in the face of horrific threats and actual bullets, rockets, and bombs was a shout of defiance and a significant setback to the former Taliban regime and their al Qaeda allies. It was a stunning success and serious step forward for the Afghan people and for the United States in the campaign against international terrorism. The change is more dramatic than the American Revolution, in the aftermath of which the new American democracy maintained a representative form of government similar to its British roots. The change is also more positive than the French Revolution, which degenerated into tyranny and anarchy. The Afghan Revolution of democratic governance, albeit aided and guided by international military and political powers, is thus one of the most historic events of our time.Written by a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, this book provides readers with a candid account of Afghanistan's first presidential election and its subsequent transition to democratic self-governance. In particular, Morgan speaks to the security apparatus and the measures protecting the election. The election's security process marked a defeat for the al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist insurgents attempting to frustrate Afghanistan's transformation into a democratic nation. Morgan's narrative of Afghan development is interspersed with firsthand, personal accounts from the author's eleven-month deployment as an officer serving in the U.S. military in Afghanistan. His stint there, embedded within the United Nations in a civilian-clothes role, enables him to write from the perspective of a UN security officer, offering insights beyond those that might be gained on the battlefield.