The occupation of Afghanistan is unraveling, but Bush and Rumsfeld just won’t face up to it.

Published on Alternet.org on Wednesday November 1, 2006. Click here to read.

The following is an excerpt from “Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence” (Seven Stories, 2006) by Sonali Kolhatkar and James Ingalls.

Once touted as a success in the “War on Terror,” Afghanistan has now deteriorated into increasing violence with the return of warlords, a flourishing drug trade, and ongoing women’s oppression. Additionally, us/NATO bombing raids still claim civilian lives and their brutal “hunt and kill” tactics have ironically resulted in a resurgence of the Taliban. Despite the NATO takeover of “security operations” this summer, Western troops in Afghanistan are more unpopular than ever and per soldier are just as likely to be killed as in Iraq.

But this descent into violence is a predictable outcome of …

Continue reading

The Hill Times (Ottawa), October 23rd, 2006
NEWS STORY
By Simon Doyle

Opinion of the Afghan mission is shifting in Liberal caucus, says one Grit, as opposition parties step up their criticism of the mission.

As opposition parties step up their pressure on the Conservative government to rethink its mission in Afghanistan, the co-author of a new book on the war says that the Canadian-led mission is destabilizing the country and pushing the population into the arms of the Taliban.

James Ingalls, co-author of Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence, a new book on U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan, said in an interview that the Canadian-led combat mission in southern Afghanistan is counter-productive and destabilizing to the country.

“Canada right now, they’re in full support of what the U.S. is doing, in terms of the worst aspects of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, which I think are …

Continue reading

On Monday October 16th, 2006, Sonali Kolhatkar and James Ingalls, co-authors of Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence, were interviewed by Peter B. Collins, the veteran San Francisco talk show host. The Peter B. Collins Show is syndicated in cities in California, Arizona, and Oregon.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Continue reading

As part of their week-long series examining the situation in Afghanistan five years after the American invasion, Rediff.com invited Bleeding Afghanistan co-author Sonali Kolhatkar to be a guest on the Rediff Chat, where she shared her experiences and views on the war-ravaged nation.

The chat was held on Monday October 9th at 9 am PST. Read a transcript of the chat here:
http://rediff.com/news/2006/oct/11sonalichat.htm

Continue reading

On Friday October 6th, Sonali and Jim appeared on Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman to discuss the fifth anniversary of the US bombing of Afghanistan.

Click here to watch/listen to the interview.

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:

AMY GOODMAN: My next guests are the authors of the book, Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords and the Propaganda of Silence. Sonali Kolhatkar and James Ingalls are also co-directors of the Afghan Women’s Mission. They traveled to Afghanistan last year to witness firsthand the results of U.S. policy there and to understand how ordinary Afghans felt about the war. Sonali and Jim join us from Los Angeles. We welcome you to Democracy Now!

SONALI KOLHATKAR: Thank you, Amy. It’s good to be with you.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s great to have you with us. And, …

Continue reading

On Wednesday October 4th, Sonali Kolhatkar and James Ingalls addressed a crowd of over 100 people on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, as part of their on-going book tour. The event was spearheaded by Robert Jensen, a Professor of Journalism at UT, and Third Coast Activist. The campus newspaper, The Daily Texan, covered the story. Sonali graduated from UT in 1996.

Alumna discusses U.S. presence in Afghanistan
Speakers claim United States failed to deliver on promises in ‘world’s largest forgotten tragedy’
Christina Garcia
Posted: 10/5/06

Amnesty International has called Afghanistan “the world’s largest forgotten tragedy.”

Afghanistan is being remembered in the culmination of six years’ worth of research in a new book by UT alumna Sonali Kolhatkar and James Ingalls. More than 45,000 troops are stationed in the country, Ingalls said.

Kolhatkar and Ingalls visited UT Wednesday evening to …

Continue reading