Intervention narratives : Afghanistan, the United States, and the Global War on Terror /

In Intervention Narratives Bose (Indiana Univ., Bloomington) presents an analysis of America's war in Afghanistan, arguing that it was part of an imperialist foreign policy. The author identifies four narratives that have been used to justify the war: "the premature-withdrawal narrative"; "the capitalist-rescue narrative," which focuses on saving Afghan women; "the canine-rescue narrative"; and "the retributive-justice narrative." In presenting these narratives, the author argues that the US's stated goal to fight global terrorism is a façade, when in actuality the real goal is global imperialism. Chapters include an elaboration on these themes by discussing various Western media presentations, including films, books, and documentaries that show aspects of the American presence in Afghanistan. These include Mohammed Yousef's memoir Afghanistan: The Bear Trap (2001) and the film Charlie Wilson's War (2007). Taking a Marxist theoretical approach, the text is steeped in Marxist jargon, and while the book offers a new approach to understanding the US's long and unsuccessful war in Afghanistan, it ultimately fails to provide a convincing explanation of the war and why it has gone badly. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals. --Grant Michael Farr, emeritus, Portland State University