John W. Warnock.  Creating a Failed State.  Halifax, Nova Scotia: Fernwood Publishing, 2008.

If you want just one book that gives you the story of the Afghan tragedy, this is it.  Warnock, a retired professor of economics and sociology, covers all the essentials—a capsule history of the country up to the present, the story of U.S. encouragement of and support for Muslim extremism, the U.S. undermining of democratic change in Afghanistan, the anti-woman program of the Karzai government—it’s all there.

There may be the occasional problem with Warnock’s analysis, such as his implication that the Taliban régime was serious in offering to ship Osama bin Laden to a third country for trial if the U.S. could provide reliable evidence of his involvement in 9/11.  The general view—mine included—is that it was simply stalling.  However, he makes a startling contention about the al-Qaeda chief.

According to Warnock, bin Laden was in the American Hospital in Dubai from July 4 to 14, 2001, where he was visited by the local CIA chief.  If this is correct, we might want to know what efforts were made by the U.S. to have him arrested.  By then U.S. targets had been hit in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. 

Warner details the massive support given to the Taliban and al-Qaeda in order to undermine the Communist government in Afghanistan.  Assistance was given not only in Pakistan but even in the U.S.!  In fact, some of the aid was given to militants in the U.S.  who returned the favor by the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.  Well, the Communist government fell, and the Soviets were—as hoped—sucked into their own Viet Nam.  I’m reminded of the old saying: Be careful what you wish for. . . .

U.S. involvement in foisting Hamid Karzai and his allies on Afghanistan is described in detail, with undemocratic election procedures, with a constitution adopted by stealth which gives sharia predominance, with the vicious warlords who killed and raped their way to power dominating the loya jurga and voting themselves immunity for their crimes.  The 1964 constitution by contrast was secular and democratic but it was not reinstated.

Then there is the matter of women’s rights.  The rapists from the Northern League now have a prominent role in the Karzai government.  One thing that can be said for the Taliban is that at least they did not rape.  Many women who are in prison now are there for sexual reasons—fleeing an abusive husband, fleeing an arranged marriage, elopement — and even being a victim of rape!  As the Karzai-appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice explained, “Women have the privilege of obeying their husbands and the privilege of restraining themselves from committing bad acts.”

In looking at the U.S. strategic role, Warnock points to its imperialist behavior, which now involves getting others—including Canada—to take much of the burden of maintaining and expanding its control.  He also notes an interest in Afghan oil and minerals and in access to oil from Turkmenistan to be accessed via a pipeline through the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea.

This book covers all these matters and more.  It is a treasure.