Afghanistan: Mullah, Marx, And Mujahid

by Ralph H., Magnus, Eden Naby

In this broad introductory volume, Ralph Magnus and Eden Naby detail Afghanistan's physical situation, human environment, and modern history, as well as the rise and fall of competing internal forces, most recently the Taliban. The authors offer analytical insight into Afghanistan's political position within the restructured Central Asian region, the ethnic relationships that complicate its political history, and the potential for stability.

Genres: History

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2002

Reviews

[Derek · Rating 1 out of 5]

A vomit-inducing, hardcore anti-communist apologia for not only (many elements of) the mujahideen and the Taliban, but also US support for them. Diatribe after diatribe against *any* communist movement or initiative (even equality for women is derided as purely opportunistic and only "on paper," lol), with praise and love for any reactionary turd taking up arms against Kabul. It's stunning that the U.S. invasion near the end of the book is treated benignly. It is not presented as a menace, merely an auxiliary force to some sort of "legitimate" Afghan presence via the Northern Alliance (neither the Khalq or Parcham of the PDPA are *ever* treated as legitimate). None of this is to mention the shoddy research itself, the lack of adequate citations, the paucity of any serious primary source documentation, etc. Worth the read only to see the sort of apologetics and propaganda employed by Western intellectuals to mirror US foreign policy imperatives. Looking forward to Beverly Male's Revolutionary Afghanistan after arduously traversing through this drivel.