Koran, Kalashnikov, and Laptop: The Neo-Taliban Insurgency in Afghanistan 2002-2007 (Columbia/Hurst)
This detailed study... chronicles the rise of what Giustozzi labels 'the neo-Taliban'. Separate chapters treat how and why the neo-Taliban were recruited, their organization, their tactics and strategy, and the counterinsurgency efforts of the Afghan government and its outside supporters. With copious cross-referencing, he works in such subjects asthe continued involvement of Pakistan, the drug trade, neo-Taliban relations with Al Qaeda, and the rural-versus-urban dimension of this struggle. There are also several perceptive comparisons with insurgencies elsewhere in the world. [Giustozzi] concludes that reining in the neo-Taliban by arms or diplomacy will be more difficult now than reining in the original was five years ago. He also sees the group's strategy as having shifted in its new form from national resistance to global jihad.'(Foreign Affairs)A revelatory new book.(Asia Times)An important book as it shows the evolution of the movement [of the Taliban] into a more lethal entity... Current, relevant, and thought-provoking.(Lester W. GrauJournal of Military History)The definitive volume on the resurgent Taliban for policymakers, diplomats, and military leaders... a must-read.(Kevin D. StringerMilitary Review)An excellent recent publication.(International Socialist Review1900-01-00)A timely and relevant collection(Middle East Quarterly1900-01-00)