Conflict in Afghanistan: Studies in asymmetric warfare

186 Pages·2005·1.69 MB·English

by  Martin Ewans

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Conflict in Afghanistan
Conflict in Afghanistan provides a timely discussion of the concept of asymmetric
warfare which has become one of the main issues of the day in the wake of the attacks of
9/11 and the ensuing invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Broadly speaking this describes a means of fighting where comparatively weak
6 belligerents have been able to exploit successfully the vulnerabilities of their more
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0 powerful and sophisticated opponents. Two recent examples have been the Vietnam and
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y the Soviet–Afghan wars, but the historical roots of the concept lie deeper, particularly in
a Afghanistan.
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Conflict in Afghanistan, laying emphasis on contemporary documents and drawing on
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0 material from Soviet archives, centres on wars conducted in Afghanistan which have
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0: Subjects examined include:
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at • five wars conducted in Afghanistan by an external invader over the past two centuries;
] • the decisions and actions of politicians and the military involved in the wars in question;
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nc • the successes and failures of diplomatic endeavours during the wars.
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e This book is essential reading for those who have research interests in Asian studies,
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military studies and current affairs.
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o Martin Ewans is a retired diplomat with considerable experience of South Asia,
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t including three years as Head of Chancery in Kabul. He is author of Afghanistan: A New
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r History and Afghanistan: A Short History of its People and Politics.
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Conflict in Afghanistan
Studies in asymmetric warfare
Martin Ewans

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LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2005 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York,
NY 10016
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.

“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis
or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to
http://www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/.”
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1 © 2005 Sir Martin Ewans
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2 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or
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a by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
M photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission
9 in writing from the publishers.
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5 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available
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: from the British Library
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t Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
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] Ewans, Martin, Sir, 1928– Conflict in Afghanistan: Studies in asymmetric warfare/Martin Ewans.
ce p. cm Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Afghanistan–History. 2. Afghanistan–
n History, Military. 3. Asymmetric warfare–Afghanistan. I. Title. DS361.E88 2005 355.4′2′09581–
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ef dc22 2004024680
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of ISBN 0-203-31254-6 Master e-book ISBN
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The guerrilla wins if he does not lose. The conventional army loses if it does not win.
Henry Kissinger
Afghanistan may evoke the military past, but its importance is as a preview of the
6 battleground of the future.
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9 Robert Kaplan
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Contents

List of illustrations ix
Acknowledgements xi
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2 Introduction 1
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9 PART I Setting the scene
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e PART II The First Anglo-Afghan War
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b PART III The Second Anglo-Afghan War
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8 Retreat 64

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PART IV The Third Anglo-Afghan War

9 Amanullah’s gamble 72
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PART V The Soviet–Afghan War

10 The Communist takeover 80
11 The Khalq regime 87
12 The decision to invade 95
13 Invasion and occupation 106
6 14 Withdrawal 117
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9 PART VI The American intervention
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De 17 Conclusion 141
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ve Select bibliography 160
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Illustrations
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9 Figures
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er Maps
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3.1 The First Anglo-Afghan War: the routes taken by the invading 26

armies
4.1 The First Anglo-Afghan War: Kabul and the British 34

Cantonment
7.1 The Second Anglo-Afghan War: the invasion routes 58
8.1 The Battle of Maiwand 62