Customer Reviews

Holy War, Unholy Victory: Eyewitness to the Cia's Secret War in Afghanistan

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is mostly an account by Kurt Lohbeck on his journeys to Afghanistan. Unfortunatly, most of it seems to be biased, in favor of himself, and his favorite muj, the late Abdul Haq.

Undoubtly, Kurt had some great experiences over there, but it seems too immpressive to be real. Kurt seems to show up during every major event in the 80's, as well as meet every key figure from Reagan all the way down.

The Afghan, Abdul Haq, he paints as a superhero - who single-handedly defeated the Soviets. When Kurt's accounts are compared to others who were there (Check "The Bear Trap", and "Soldiers of God"), there are discrepencies. On the plus side, Abdul Haq was a major player in the war, and this book gives more detailed information about him, then anywhere else.

On general matters Afghani, there are better books. But as a biography on Abdul Haq, then this book has excellent information.

this book is excellent- mr. lohbeck obviously covers all the bases and loves the country and people of afghanistan. as someone formerly assigned to the u.s. embassy in afghanistan, i very much appreciated this work. long live afghanistan and its proud people- and thank you mr. lohbeck, for braving the conditions during the war to bring us this account.

What was achieved by U.S involvement in Afghanistan? A third world country has been led to economic and social destruction. The Afghans rejected "communism." However, they have accepted civil and gang wars. The Afghans themselves do not know what they want. The chief muslim figure in Afghanistan has said: "the reason that Afghanistan rejected Communism was, according to the Koran, it is wrong to have an economically and socially equal society. Society should have classes, regardless of the disparity or gap [between classes] that's created." Well, I am sure that the Afghans are enjoying their "third world class society."

HOLY WAR< UNHOLY VICTORY IS AN EXELLENT READ. IT IS BACKED BY THE JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY OF DAN RATHER.

This book gives a great account of Kurt Loehbecks travels, trials, & tribulations in Afghanistan. Abdul Haq is a great Mujahadin and deserves the respect of all people, it was nice to read about some of the lessor know leaders who slugged it out on the ground whilst the likes of Gulbaddin just gave orders and mullah omar was sitting in lahore with his basangers drinking tea. Mr. Loehbeck did a great job, I wish this book was longer. ;^)

I fully endorse the above review of "A reader from AMERICA", and denounce the other nonsensical rubbish to be found alongside. Dr. Magnusson's review is also right. Loehbeck's is the typical gushing childish narrative, of the type that characterises modern Western writers on Afghanistan, especially those of the controversial period of the 1980s and '90s. It also contains many name-spelling and minor contextual mistakes and errors throughout. People such as him do no service to the historical reality of a very profound and key situation of the present era of the world. For one, they blame the Soviet invasion of 1979 for events in Afganistan since then. That is untrue. What the invasion did was to precipitate this crisis, but as far as its causes are concerned, among other things, the character of the Afghan nature and society are wholly responsible and should be addressed and exposed by concerned writers. The underpinnings of this crisis had started well before 1979, and this is what could have been expected to have transpired because of the rigid and vicious nature of Afghan society when it encountered social, technological and cultural progress of any kind. The pseudo-science of Marxism wasn't at all the ideal solution to anything, but Western writers should refrain from using its defeat as a scapegoat or whipping post to hide their own weaknesses and/or mask their own doings which, since 1991 especially, are almost equal in magnitude to Marxist fallacies and wrongs. Expert observers will note that both Islam and Marxian communist politics, though diametrically opposed, struck a very resonant chord somewhere deep in the sinister murkiness of the Afghan psyche. (And this isn't quite the "communism" any Europeans are used to knowing). I hate "my" people for their nature. History will remember them for the rascals and wolves that they are...yes, indeed.

The factual errors start in the very first sentence of the forward by Dan Rather and continue throughout. Lohbeck even gets the definition of "Islam" wrong; he says it means "peace". There are plenty of pictures of Kurt for those inclined to look at them.

"Dr" Peter Magnussen is very angry that his Soviet masters were defeated by the Mujahadeen...Allah be praised. As a avowed Hungarian communist Dr. Magnussen is now feeling mighty low since his men have left him.

As we continue to learn more and more about the Soviet "invasion" of afghanistan, and as time goes on, we are able to see the true nature of the afghans. They are pure bred savages, who feel dying in "battle is being praised by allah." If anyone has traveled to afghanistan, they would see the truth. 10% of it's land mass is able to be farmed, this is a nation the size of Texas. They fight savagely for a nation laden with corruption, disease, land mines (there are more mines then people) dirt covered food, and caves for their "homes." The Taliban regime who runs 90% of the country after the withdrawl isn't even recognized as a true government, and this is the same country that is known to house Osama Bin Laden. Not only do the US but Russia want to see him dead, the whole world (besides muslim militants) bow there head in shame at the country that the two superpowers destroyed during the 1980's. Truly a disgraceful place.