Compelling evidence of the CIA's involvement in creating and expanding both the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The arena spans globally, yet the primary player remains the American intelligence agency. Once more, Afghanistan becomes the focal point. The CIA, represented by Gary Schroen, manipulates mercenaries to orchestrate espionage and secret operations against foreign governments and terror groups, persistently pursuing its goals for sixteen years by funneling massive sums of money. They steered the path of jihad against the Soviets, launched covert campaigns to thwart, capture, or kill Bin Laden upon his return to Afghanistan, and documented their relationship with Ahmad Shah Massoud, the renowned leader of operations against the Soviets and Afghanistan's defense minister amid a war-torn government, whose reputation declined in his struggles against Pakistan. Eventually, they withdrew their support for him and the Afghan people, exploiting the Taliban as tools of intimidation or discipline, playing off all factions against each other. This book reveals the central, extraordinary role of the CIA, from stories of missile sales and repurchases to tales of American intelligence officers and leaders, and their battles explaining the clandestine wars preceding September 11, implicating presidents, diplomats, national security advisors, and specialists in a newly formed anti-terrorism unit.

Publishing house: Arab Scientific Publishers

Number of Pages: 924

Year of publication: 2008