Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence [Paperback]

Sonali Kolhatkar (Author), James Ingalls (Author), David Barsamian (Foreword)

Book Description

Release date: October 3, 2006

Through in-depth research and detailed historical context, Sonali Kolhatkar and James Ingalls report on the injustice of U.S. policies in Afghanistan historically and in the post-9/11 era. Drawing from declassified government documents and on-the-ground interviews with Afghan activists, journalists, lawyers, refugees, and students, Bleeding Afghanistan examines the connections between the U.S. training and arming of Mujahideen commanders and the subversion of Afghan democracy today. Bleeding Afghanistan boldly critiques the exploitation of Afghan women to justify war by both conservatives and liberals, analyzes uncritical media coverage of U.S. policies, and examines the ways in which the U.S. benefits from being in Afghanistan.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

SONALI KOLHATKAR and JAMES INGALLS are the co-directors of the Afghan Women’s Mission, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that works with the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). Their writings have appeared in Z Magazine, Foreign Policy in Focus, and on Alternet, Common Dreams, and CounterPunch. In February 2005, Kolhatkar and Ingalls traveled to Afghanistan to witness firsthand the results of U.S. policy, and to understand how ordinary Afghans felt about the war. Sonali Kolhatkar is the host and producer of Uprising on Pacifica station KPFK in Los Angeles. James Ingalls is a Staff Scientist at the Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583227318
• ISBN-13: 978-1583227312
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #648,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What's really happening in Afghanistan--and why January 17, 2007

By Mark Graham

Format:Paperback

Finally a book that looks at what's happening in Afghanistan from the viewpoint of Afghans. This is a well-written and well-informed account of just why Afghanistan is the way it is. A bit of a spoiler: It has a great deal to do with the United States' criminal support of fundamentalist warlords. These men, who have risen to power in the new "democratic" government, are the same ones who abused human rights with impunity in the 1990s and paved the way for the Taliban. While providing an insightful background in Afghan history that shows their firm grasp of the facts not propaganda, the authors have written their most penetrating analysis on the ways in which Afghanistan has been misrepresented by both liberal feminist groups and conservative media. This is not yet another attempt to cash in on the temporary cool of a war-torn country. It is a genuine effort to draw attention to the vast injustices that are being perpetrated with US aid and collusion as well as to the many Afghans who face death to bring peace and justice to their country.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The book on Afghanistan we have been waiting for! January 19, 2007

By Heather K. Schreck

Format:Paperback

This is a must read for anyone who truly cares about the Afghan people and their country. It gives very detailed information on the US involvement in the country, that began way before September 11th to what is going on today. It is a book that is hard to stomach at more times than most because of the details given, but it is also vital information in understanding Afghanistan today. It also shows that Afghanistan is far from a success. This book is not only long overdue, but truthfully one of the most powerful books you could ever read on this country. The authors should be commended for not only writing it, but writing it with such love and care for the Afghan people themselves.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars uncovering the truth of Afghanistan January 12, 2007

By Alex Censor

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book will truly reveal what it going on in Afghanistan and the role we have played there and the horrible mistakes that are causing many lives. AS well as billions of dollars going to War Lords,etc, and not the Afghan people.

Important book.