Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Steve Coll
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is Pt. 2 of Coll's series that brilliantly expose the events leading up to 9/11--and those following the dastardly 9/11 attacks. Coll does an excellent job of unpacking the issues & events & missteps of the US' government and various agencies in its response to 9/11--the focus being the on-going conflicts in Afghanistan & Pakistan (yes, still on-going in 2019 & not likely to be over soon...hey, we're still engaged in Germany & S. Korea after 60+ years!--what did you expect??). I appreciated the nuances Coll depicts in the US relationship (can't really be called much of an alliance) with Pakistan--and it's military & I.S.I. leaders. Mostly, there's lots of missteps & miscalculations exposed--and outright duplicity & forked-tongue speak. If you want to know why the on-going situation in Afghanistan is so complex, read this account by Coll, backed up by solid research and hundreds of interviews. And maybe do a little more in-depth thinking and research next time when you think that outright military might & money can solve complex & implacable issues on the far side of the globe.


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