October
07, 2005
Two Revealing
Books on Afghanistan
Let me introduce to you in this
column two books published in the US recently. Both
have been placed on the New York Times Bestseller
list. One describes in detail (523 pages) the American
and Pakistani clandestine support to the Afghan
Mujahideen in their war against the Russian invasion
and the key players in the ‘Great Game’.
The crucial, covert role played by Saudi Arabia,
Egypt and Israel is also mentioned
The other book is a powerful, riveting and evocative
novel, titled “The Kite Runner” written
by an Afghan, Khalid Hosseini, who escaped the war
in Afghanistan and is settled now in the Bay Area
of California. The story is as engaging as it is
a moving portrait of modern-day Afghanistan. A few
words about his work of art and fiction first.
Written against the span of time covering the last
days of the monarchy, through the various phases
of the conflicts in that country, to the present
period, it serves as a political chronicle of the
period, but only in an indirect way. For, the book
is essentially a remarkable work of fiction set
against the backdrop of Afghanistan. It reveals
artistically the culture of an obscure nation thrown
onto the center of world attention because of its
invasion and occupation by the Soviet Union.
In the words of the Denver Post, “This unusually
eloquent story is also about the fragile relationship
between fathers and sons, humans and their gods,
men and their countries. Loyalty and blood are the
ties that bind their stories into one of the most
lyrical, moving and unexpected books this year”.
Apart from being placed on their lists of Best Sellers
of the Year by the New York Times and San Francisco
Chronicle, the book has already earned several awards
by literary societies.
The other book that merits special attention is
“Charlie Wilson’s War” by George
Crile, a veteran journalist and producer of the
prestigious program ‘60 Minutes’. It
is a well-researched work that reveals for the first
time several facts about the conflict in Afghanistan
and how it led to the defeat of the mighty Soviet
super power and its disintegration. Many events
disclosed in this book could not be told earlier
for the simple reason that both the US and Pakistan
had taken officially the stand that the war against
the Soviet Union was being waged by the Mujahideen
(the freedom fighters) on their own. This precaution
was inevitable, as any concrete evidence of Pakistan’s
involvement would have provided the cause for extending
the Soviet invasion to Pakistan that could have
led to even a world war. Pakistan till the end of
the conflict maintained the stand that it was not
serving as the conduit of arms to the Mujahideen.
More important was the fact that all the weapons
that were given to the Afghans were of Soviet make.
They were from the stocks available with Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, Israel or elsewhere, and which had
been earlier been furnished by the Soviet Union
itself. Egyptian and Israeli defense factories were
commissioned to produce the Soviet models.
The cost was being shared on 50-50 basis be the
US and Saudi Arabia. There was not even once any
obstruction in the flow of funds from Saudi Arabia.
Such cooperation is unprecedented in world history.
The US objective was to keep the Soviet Union bleeding
in Afghanistan as a retaliation of their own bleeding
in Vietnam - a cold war game. So, the war was to
be kept ignited and ‘fought to the last Afghan’.
Moral, material and media support was being provided,
but no direct involvement of American personnel
and even their arsenal was allowed. They meticulously
avoided escalation of the war so that it did not
become a conflagration making American participation
inevitable. The virtually illiterate but exceptionally
brave Mujahideen were being pumped up and led to
believe that “Courage Is Our Weapon”.
A film by that name was also produced.
The Mujahideen were being shot down left, right
and center by Soviet helicopter gunships. The weapons,
mainly .303 Enfield rifles, AK 47 machine guns and
light cannons could not penetrate the heavily shielded
bodies of the helicopters. Their bullets simply
bounced off the helicopters. All the seven factions
of the Mujahideen kept pleading for a weapon that
could hit and bring down the Soviet gun ships. The
US did have Stinger missiles that could do the job.
But, the decision takers in the US were reluctant
to place these into the hands of the Mujahideen.
It was in a situation like this that a Congressman
from East Texas, named Charlie Wilson, entered the
arena. He was led there by Pakistan’s honorary
Consul-General in Houston, Joann Herring, a Texas
socialite, a religious minded beauty with the brains
and tact of a suave diplomat.
Charlie Wilson, a 6’ 4” tall, daring,
dashing and handsome man was brought up by his mother
to stand by the underdog. He had virtually no Jews
in his East Texas constituency, but he thought them
to be the underdog in Israel surrounded by ferocious
Arab countries. So, he became their staunch supporter
and in return got the support of the American Jewish
bodies. Then, he happened to visit the Sabra and
Shatilla refugee camps soon after the massacre of
thousands of innocent men, women and children there
by the Lebanese Christians with the blessings of
Gen. Ariel Sharon. He lost faith in the purity of
the Israeli cause and his hesitation in embracing
the cause of the Muslim Mujahideen - a legendary,
freedom loving, warrior people who couldn’t
be easily intimidated and put down.
At the Afghan refugee camps, he met several tribal
chiefs and young guerilla fighters, some with limbs
lost in the war. No one complained of the ravages
of the war, talked of the need for medicine and
wholesome food or drinking water. All were fixated
on the Russian Mi-24 Hind helicopter that couldn’t
be brought down by their light weapons. Charlie
took upon himself to provide them with just such
a weapon. And, he eventually did. He had a penchant
for personalizing causes. The Mujahideen demand
became his own pressing need.
Charlie was a boozer, womanizer, and a rule breaker.
He was a great spender but never suspected of being
corrupt. And, once he personalized a cause he would
be totally sincere to it. He made some 1 ½
dozen trips to Peshawar and each time donated his
blood for the Mujahideen. No other American is on
record for making such a gesture. But, for Charlie
it was a sincere donation to a cause nearest to
his heart.
The book narrates the fascinating but true story
of how Charlie went about turning the State Department’s
cautious policy towards Afghanistan on its head
and escalating the conflict to a point where supplying
the Mujahideen with Stinger missiles became the
only logical option. His position on the Appropriations
Committee provided him enough clout to maneuver
this through release of enormous amounts for the
cause.
He was lucky to have when he needed CIA operatives
who excelled like Charlie himself in short-circuiting
the bureaucratic rigmarole. His chief support in
the CIA was Gust Avrokotos, generally thought in
the Agency to be a rogue operative for his open
defiance of the red tape to get quick to the target.
A virtual genius at a young age, Mike Vickers, joined
the Agency just in time to plan a strategy involving
multiple weapons that confused the enemy and led
eventually to victory in the battlefield. The Stinger
missiles had of course the major part in this. But
Vickers strategy continued till the end and to success.
The book is a must read for a clear comprehension
of the sudden collapse of a mighty super power in
the barren mountains of Afghanistan and the emergence
of militant Islam. It deals with facts but reads
like fiction; hence it is piquant to go through.
- arifhussaini@hotmail.com
