Ending the Us War in Afghanistan: a Primer

"We're poor people! Don't destroy our country just to get one man..."
--Afghan refugee in an interview on National Public Radio, September 30, 2001

"If we rush to launch a counterattack, we run too great a risk that women, children, and other noncombatants will be caught in the crossfire. Nor can we let our justified anger over these outrageous acts inflame prejudice against all Arab Americans, Muslims, Southeast Asians, or any other people because of their race, religion, or ethnicity. Finally we must be careful not to embark on an open-ended war with neither an exit strategy nor a focused target. We cannot repeat past mistakes."
--U. S. Representative Barbara Lee, September 15, 2001 upon casting the lone dissenting vote for the authorization to use force

The Bush administration answered the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 with what it called the "global war on terror," beginning with the assault and invasion of Afghanistan and then with the invasion and occupation of Iraq. As more and more Americans joined the opposition to the Iraq war, for many, Afghanistan remained "the good war." But was Afghanistan ever a "good war"? And will President Obama's plan and escalation of US troop presence in Afghanistan work?

In this easy-to-read volume of "frequently asked questions" (FAQs), analysts David Wildman and Phyllis Bennis examine a wide range of key issues regarding the U. S. war in Afghanistan. Is Afghanistan really going to become "Obama's war"? What was the history of the U. S. in Afghanistan before September 11? What role does NATO play in the Afghanistan war? Do Afghans want the U. S. troops to stay in their country? Who are the Taliban? What is al-Qaeda? And, finally, what are the steps needed to end the war?

In this compact, concise, jargon-free primer, the deeply knowledgeable authors answer all the basic questions and explain the various aspects of the war in Afghanistan.