Ahmed Rashid at Asia Society

Asia Society in New York recently hosted Ahmed Rashid the author of the latest book Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Rashid talked about complex geopolitics of the region in the aftermath of 9/11, focusing on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States, sharply criticizing the Bush administration’s policies, arguing that after 9/11 the US squandered a tremendous opportunity to engage with the region in a constructive way.

A few interesting excerpts as published by the Asia Society

• Rashid explains why the United States military is smarter than the State Department (2 min., 6 sec.)
  [audio:080603_ahmed_rashid_ex1.mp3]
• Rashid contends that US support for President Musharraf is short-sighted, as only civilian rule can ultimately serve both Pakistan’s and regional security interests (3 min., 6 sec.)
  [audio:080603_ahmed_rashid_ex2.mp3]
• Rashid describes how the Taliban has become an increasingly sophisticated fighting force (2 min., 28 sec.)
  [audio:080603_ahmed_rashid_ex3.mp3]

Or if you would like to listen to the entire program (1 hr, 20 min)
[audio:080603_ahmed_rashid.mp3]