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The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and Al-Qaeda Peter L. Bergen, The Longest War. New York: Free Press, 2011
Peter Bergen a well known journalist, security analyst, and CNN news reporter provides an all inclusive historical account of terrorism emanating before and after 9/11 including numerous accounts depicting how both the United States and al-Queda were weak. The author states this is not a war about winning, it is a war that has no boundaries, or social justice. He mentions the pullout from Vietnam, the fleeing in Lebanon, Clinton's withdrawal in Somalia, as well as others thereafter. He feels the gross error was General Frank's refusal to provide more troops at Tora Bora when Bin Laden was leaving the country. He notes the biggest failure for it was a sign of weakness and impotence at both ends-Al Queda as well as the United States. The bitter paradox much to the surprise of alQueda was that the attack of 9/11 caused more loosening of the stronghold and collapse of the Taliban resulting in more US troops into Iraq and Afghanistan.
In reading the book, I could not help thinking Bergen should have titled the book, The Most Impotent War as opposed to The Longest War which appears to be the basic thread throughout. For example, the author notes there was ample warning of 9/11 but the scope and seriousness of Al Queda's intentions were shoved under the rug. Or shall we call a spade a spade-denial! Bergen states the lack of government control how "Bush closed the embassy at Kabul and no one knew who the enemy was. He questions why did a team of national security experts underestimate the problem? Who's in charge here?" Al Queda or the Taliban? He presents chronological accounts and interviews from failed suicide bombers, as well as with friends and family of Osama bin laden, top military and CIA officers and officials. Bergen recalls that it is this is the kind of weakness that perpetuates the conflict while the focus should have been more on the threat to our national security it was on the cold war.
I refer here to Efraim Karsh's book, Islamic Imperialism (2007) stating that Islamic wars are not a response to current...