My Life With the Taliban - Couverture rigide

Abdul Salam Zaeef

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1849040265 ISBN 13 : 9781849040266

Editeur : C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd, 2010

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

This is the autobiography of Abdul Salam Zaeef, a senior former member of the Taliban. His memoirs, translated from Pashto, are more than just the story of his extraordinary life: they offer a challenging counter-narrative to the standard accounts of Afghanistan since 1979. Zaeef describes a childhood blighted by the poverty of rural Kandahar province. Both of his parents died at an early age, and the Russian invasion of 1979 forced him to flee to Pakistan. He joined the anti-Soviet jihad in 1983, during which time he was associated with many major figures in the resistance, including the current Taliban head, Mullah Mohammad Omar. After the defeat and withdrawal of the Russians, Zaeef returned to a quiet life in his home village, with the aim of becoming a mullah, but chaos soon overwhelmed Afghanistan as factional fighting erupted. Disgusted by the lawlessness that ensued, Zaeef was one among the former mujahidin who were closely involved in the discussions that led to the emergence of the Taliban, in 1994. Zaeef then details his Taliban career as civil servant and minister. He was ambassador to Pakistan at the time of the 9/11 attacks, and his account discusses the 'phoney war' before the US-led intervention toppled the Taliban regime. In early 2002 he was handed over to American forces, notwithstanding his diplomatic status, and spent four and a half years in prison (including several years in Guantanamo) before being released without having been tried or charged with any offence. My Life with the Taliban offers a personal and privileged insight into the rural Pashtun village communities that are the Taliban's bedrock and helps to explain what drives men like Zaeef to take up arms against the foreigners who are foolish enough to invade their homeland.

Revue de presse :

'Spies, generals and ambassadors will pounce on this book, poring over its pages for clues to a way out of the Afghan morass.' --Sunday Telegraph

'The first book from inside the Taliban could not be better timed. Abdul Salam Zaeef was one of the founding members of the group and held senior positions within it, ending up as ambassador to Pakistan.' --Sunday Times

'A counternarrative to much of what has been written about Afghanistan since 1979. . . Zaeef offers a particularly interesting discussion of the Taliban's origins and the group's effectiveness in working with locals.' --Foreign Affairs

'The first book from inside the Taliban could not be better timed. Abdul Salam Zaeef was one of the founding members of the group and held senior positions within it, ending up as ambassador to Pakistan.' --Sunday Times

'A counternarrative to much of what has been written about Afghanistan since 1979. . . Zaeef offers a particularly interesting discussion of the Taliban's origins and the group's effectiveness in working with locals.' --Foreign Affairs

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
• Date d'édition: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1849040265
• ISBN 13: 9781849040266
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 360