The self-punching Magalomania of powerfulness

Book Name;

Hubris, Self-interest, and America’s Failed war in Afghanistan; the Self-sustaining Overreach.

Author;

Thomas P. Cavanna.

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The book is solely focused on one of the longest war of America fought after cold war. Though initially the dreaded American military power gave an upper hand bad victory to it in this mountainous country.

It was a long nightmare of failures with the sense of stabilization, controlling and modernizing or Americanizing this country giving a stunning smite to American economy and military might.

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The two wars, Afghanistan in South Asia and Iraq in Middle East, were sucking up the mental, political, economic and military stamina of Washington making it to make helter-skelter decisions for them.

The use of Afghan warlords as props by the Pentagon against the al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters undermined the credibility and legitimacy of new the political set-up of Afghanistan after Taliban fall in December, 2001.

The prolong stay of American forces in Afghanistan provided an opportunity to the Pakistani military establishment to wrist more from Washington by their covert support to Taliban fighters knowing well that the US forces are logistically dependent upon them in their war on terror in Kabul. Thus a double game of running with hares and hunting with hounds started!!

The democratization, modernization or Americanization of Afghanistan proved to be futile due to many reasons. One reason, the major one, was the natural complexity and inability of Afghanistan to cope with new situation and age-needs.

The American administration lost its goals and objectives in this mountainous labyrinth.

The cost of maintaining military presence became intolerable for Washington. They proved to be only a cost of self-sustaining, feeding and protecting itself doing nothing either with Afghan government or people.

The book clearly and aptly factorises the hubristic behaviour of American administration in this two decade long war resulting in the Kabul fall in August 2021 to Taliban ultimately.

The 9 chapters divided into three parts discusses the past and present of Afghanistan. The promises, failures and ambiguities of Washington and Pakistan role in this war.