Talibanistan: Negotiating the Borders Between Terror, Politics, and Religion
"[Peter Bergen] has edited and introducesTalibanistan, a frequently brilliant collection of essays by different experts on the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, including an analysis of the extent to which their past links with al-Qaeda represent an enduring threat to the West..." --New YorkReview of Books"[Talibanistan] is written with analytic rigor, historical depth, and lucid prose. This is the one book to read on Afghanistan now." --Fareed Zakaria"One of the most insightful and nuanced books available about the most dangerous neighborhood in the world, and one of the world's murkiest military-religious groups.  This collection of essays by experts is a must-read for Af-Pak practitioners, analysts, and enthusiasts."--Omar Samad, United States Institute of Peace and former Afghan Ambassador to Canada and France"When the Taliban rose to power in Afghanistan nearly two decades ago, they confounded outside analysts. The extremism of their ideology and actions-and their own claims of religious purity-masked the diversity and complexity of their movement. After the September 11 attacks, American and N.A.T.O. policymakers tried to ignore the Taliban, dismissing them as a defeated and unpopular force as they concentrated on Al Qaeda. Now it is evident that the Taliban are a resilient force that will shape politics and violence in Afghanistan and neighboring countries for years to come. Talibanistan is an essential, sophisticated, and highly readable guide, one that takes the complexity of its subject seriously but delivers deep, reliable analysis about an enduring foreign policy and security challenge."--Steve Coll, author ofGhost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, fromthe Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001"This  timely and superb array of richly detailed essays by both established scholars and emerging experts captures the essence of the conflict that rages in the unforgiving landscape that is the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region-a conflict now seeping into Pakistan proper."-- Shuja Nawaz, author ofCrossed Swords: Pakistan, its Army, and the Wars Within"Ultimately, the book offers a glimpse into a little known but much discussed group, giving the reader an improved understanding of the complexities in this region. ... Recommended." --CHOICE