Reviews

Descent into Chaos: The US & the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan & Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid

skitch41's review

5.0

A tremendously outstanding book along the lines of Thomas Ricks' Fiasco that sheds light on the problems Pres. Obama and the U.S. faces in not just Afghanistan, but in the entire region of Central Asia. Rashid's prose is highly articulate, thoroughly researched, and incredibly devastating. By examining the history, current politics, and disheartening consequences of the Western world's foot dragging for the entire region, Rashid makes a compelling case for considering all of Central Asia as the frontline of America's fight against terrorist groups. Despite all of Rashid's criticisms of the U.S., NATO, the UN, Pakistan and Afghanistan (and there is plenty of blame to pass around), he never narrowly lists off a series of wrongs that have have been committed, as some authors in the U.S. like to do. Sometimes he even praises these groups. Rather, he shows what these groups and nations did right and wrong and then shows why it was or is important. Ultimately, Rashid's goal, as he explains in his concluding chapter, is to show what has worked and what must be done. Generally, he cites greater security and nation-building commitments on the part of all Western nations and serious attempts at further democratization and crackdowns on militant extremism on the part of all the nations of Central Asia as prerequisites to stability. To anyone who has a son or daughter being sent to Afghanistan in the coming months or who is just interested in what is going on in the region, this book is a must-read!