Boots on the Ground
Immediately following 9/11, the U.S. needed to strike back—but against whom? The attacks on the World Trade Center and Washington, D.C., bore all the signs of an al-Qaeda operation. This was soon verified by al-Qaeda itself, as Osama bin Laden claimed credit.
America quickly targeted al-Qaeda and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. President George W. Bush wanted direct action, so American ground forces—“boots on the ground”—supported by airpower and cruise missiles, became the order of the day.
Bush authorized the CIA to engage al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. The CIA deployed teams across Afghanistan to work with the Northern Alliance and U.S. Army Special Forces, and the results were immediate and positive. Unfortunately, the subsequent U.S. focus on Iraq squandered an opportunity for a decisive victory in Afghanistan.
In Boots on the Ground, military historian Dick Camp details the campaign for Afghanistan. He also looks at how the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led to the rise of the Afghani mujahideen and anti-Soviet foreign fighters under al-Qaeda, as well as the subsequent rise of the Taliban.
Boots on the Ground is a masterful dissection of a complex campaign.
Hardcover Book : 320 pages
Publisher: Motorbooks International Publishers ( February 15, 2012 )
Item #: 13-539210
ISBN: 9780760341117
Product Dimensions: 6.0 x 9.0 inches
Product Weight: 25.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
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