Afghanistan 20/20
A History of the U.S. War in Declassified Documents
An authoritative exposé of twenty years of U.S. failures in Afghanistan, based on twenty declassified documents The summer of 2021 saw the lid blown off twenty years of deception, obfuscation, and delusion in America’s war in Afghanistan. By analyzing twenty key declassified documents covering twenty years of the U.S. effort, this slim volume offers concise answers to our most basic questions about the debacle and defeat that played out in August 2021 at the Kabul Airport. Compiled by the director of the National Security Archive, the nation’s leading foreign policy watchdog, Afghanistan 20/20 reveals that the U.S. government under four presidents misled the American people for nearly two decades about progress in Afghanistan, while hiding the inconvenient facts about ongoing failures inside confidential channels—facts that are revealed here in sobering detail. Tom Blanton guides the reader through each document, providing expert insights and historical context. The documents in Afghanistan 20/20 include highest-level “snowflake” memos written by then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during the George W. Bush administration, critical cables written by U.S. ambassadors back to Washington under both Bush and Barack Obama, the deeply flawed Pentagon strategy document behind Obama’s “surge” in 2009, and multiple “lessons learned” findings by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)—lessons that were never learned.
Successful format: Other New Press documents books, including The Pinochet File (over 15K copies sold), The Kissinger Transcripts (over 12K copies sold), White House Email (over 11K copies sold) and Bay of Pigs Declassified (over 9K copies sold) have reached wide general readerships. Major anniversary: Will publish as nation grapples with anniversary of the worst U.S. military defeat since Vietnam, positioning author as important commentator on the causes of the debacle. Unique, accessible package: Unlike long-form nonfiction narratives of Afghanistan, this is a short, digestible account for general readers, cleverly designed and formatted for maximum impact. Respected experts: The National Security Archive is considered the go-to source on government secrecy and American foreign policy. Author Tom Banton is widely quoted in the mainstream media and has extensive on-air media experience. Key institutional collaboration: The New Press and the National Security Archive are longtime collaborators and will combine forces for a major national media push.
| Autor: | Blanton Tom |
|---|---|
| ISBN: | 9781620977590 |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Produktart: | Gebunden |
| Verlag: | Ingram Publishers Services |
| Veröffentlicht: | 05.11.2024 |
| Untertitel: | A History of the U.S. War in Declassified Documents |
| Schlagworte: | Arms negotiation & control Arms negotiation and control HISTORY / Military / United States International Relations Military history: post-WW2 conflicts POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / Arms Control POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / Diplomacy POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Military Policy POLITICAL SCIENCE / Security (National & International) POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Asian United States of America, USA |
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