Killing the Cranes: A Reporter's Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan

European-based journalist Girardet (Afghanistan: The Soviet War) shares his personal story of the Russian occupation of Afghanistan and offers disturbing parallels to America's involvement. His first trip as a journalist was just months before the Soviet invasion, and he was smitten with the beauty of the countryside with its "sprawling sea of twenty-thousand-foot-high snowcapped peaks." He returned often over the following decade, accompanying the mujahideen on missions and documenting the plight of the people. His exploits included a tense confrontation with Osama bin Laden, and he eventually landed on a "hit list... vilified as %E2%80%98the enemy of Islam.'%C2%A0" He returned when America invaded, and concludes that "all I see is a replay of history." His comparisons of the invasions expose a superpower hubris where "first the Soviets, and now the West attempted to impose a political and cultural future... that was not consistent with traditional Afghan culture and beliefs." Girardet admits to having "romanticized Afghanistan because of its harsh beauty and poetic embrace," but still offers a sobering assessment. (Sept.)