To oppose the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the US formed an extraordinary anti-communist alliance with militant Islamic forces in Central Asia. In this controversial book, John Cooley provides a behind-the-scenes account of this alliance and of how the CIA planned and ran the "holy war" in Afghanistan. Cooley describes the development of US foreign policy and CIA covert activity in the 1980s, which facilitated the training and arming of almost a quarter of a million Islamic mercenaries drawn from across the Arab world. Cooley marshals evidence to demonstrate the devastating consequences of this training once the mercenaries returned to their own countries - from the assassination of Sadat, the destabilisation of Algeria and Chechenya and the emergence of the Taliban, to the bombings of the World Trade Centre and the US embassies in Africa.
Cooley examines the crucial role of Pakistan's military intelligence organisation; uncovers China's involvement and its aftermath; the extent of Saudi financial support; the role of "America's most wanted man", the guerrilla leader Osama bin Laden; the BCCI connection; and the CIA's cynical promotion of drug traffic in the Golden Crescent.
- ISBN10 074531323X
- ISBN13 9780745313238
- Publish Date 1 May 1999 (first published 25 December 1998)
- Publish Status Cancelled
- Out of Print 19 October 2003
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Pluto Press
- Format Paperback
- Pages 256
- Language English