Book: Power Struggle Over Afghanistan:An Inside Look at What Wen

A few days back, at the time I finished reading this book, the news headlines reported the Koran burning by a US military base not too far from Kabul. Because of the glimpse I got through the reading, I was able to understand a tad of what was behind the violent outburst of anger and protest by the locals and why US military reps apologized publicly and condemned the burning. Kai Eide, the author of this book, served as UN convoy in Afghanistan for two years between 2008 and 2010. As the figure head of the international community, Kai enjoyed friendship, support and understanding from most of his colleagues and the Afghanistan political elites. However,navigating through a complex culture like Afghanistan is not an easy task, not meant to be, either. Kai's candid, honest and straightforward writing reflected the issues faced by Afghanistans, the politicians and the international donors: a weak government badly in need of functional civilian structures, the tribal strife and differences, the Talibans, the international military presence, the power breakers, the warlords, the conflicts with the surrounding countries, the suicide bombings, the tensions between political parties and the international organizations, the lack of coordination among support networks in the country; the increasing mistrust among Afghanistans towards the US-lead presence; the slow process of battling corruption; ... A good book to read and I am glad I ventured out of my "reading comfort zone" and picked this book. Interested in what others say about the book? Read more here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kai-eide/power-struggle-afghanistan/#review