Comments on: Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll http://registan.net/index.php/2007/04/08/ghost-wars-the-secret-history-of-the-cia-afghanistan-and-bin-laden-from-the-soviet-invasion-to-september-10-2001-by-steve-coll/ All Central Asia, All The Time Fri, 25 May 2012 03:15:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joshua Foust http://registan.net/index.php/2007/04/08/ghost-wars-the-secret-history-of-the-cia-afghanistan-and-bin-laden-from-the-soviet-invasion-to-september-10-2001-by-steve-coll/comment-page-1/#comment-374205 Joshua Foust Sun, 08 Apr 2007 21:51:44 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2007/04/08/ghost-wars-the-secret-history-of-the-cia-afghanistan-and-bin-laden-from-the-soviet-invasion-to-september-10-2001-by-steve-coll/#comment-374205 That last bit is absolutely true. Coll had incredible access: both a good thing, and a bad thing. He takes some people, like Schroen, at their word, when he would have been better served not to (as you noticed when you dug through his book). As a result, some of the people involved have their own fault in Afghanistan's current condition white washed. I wasn't sure how best to express it, though, so I'm glad you brought it up here. That last bit is absolutely true. Coll had incredible access: both a good thing, and a bad thing. He takes some people, like Schroen, at their word, when he would have been better served not to (as you noticed when you dug through his book). As a result, some of the people involved have their own fault in Afghanistan’s current condition white washed. I wasn’t sure how best to express it, though, so I’m glad you brought it up here.

]]> By: Afghanistanica http://registan.net/index.php/2007/04/08/ghost-wars-the-secret-history-of-the-cia-afghanistan-and-bin-laden-from-the-soviet-invasion-to-september-10-2001-by-steve-coll/comment-page-1/#comment-374203 Afghanistanica Sun, 08 Apr 2007 21:26:24 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2007/04/08/ghost-wars-the-secret-history-of-the-cia-afghanistan-and-bin-laden-from-the-soviet-invasion-to-september-10-2001-by-steve-coll/#comment-374203 I got a similar feeling after reading the book. It's amazing how ignorance and incompetence transfer semmlessly from one administration to the other. Coll is not quite on the mark when assigning blame to those inside Afghanistan, but he does do a fairly good job of implicating just about every external actor. There is plenty of blame to go around externally for Afhganistan's current condition. My only problem with Coll's research is the "inside scoop" aspect to some of his interviews. In this situation a reporter often happily allows themself to be played by the interviewee in order to "get the story." Although I am satisfied with this work as a book that has not been wrung through a university press. By mainstream publishing standards it is quite good. I got a similar feeling after reading the book. It’s amazing how ignorance and incompetence transfer semmlessly from one administration to the other.

Coll is not quite on the mark when assigning blame to those inside Afghanistan, but he does do a fairly good job of implicating just about every external actor. There is plenty of blame to go around externally for Afhganistan’s current condition.

My only problem with Coll’s research is the “inside scoop” aspect to some of his interviews. In this situation a reporter often happily allows themself to be played by the interviewee in order to “get the story.”

Although I am satisfied with this work as a book that has not been wrung through a university press. By mainstream publishing standards it is quite good.

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