Waging War in Waziristan: The British Struggle in the Land of Bin Laden, 1849-1947Waziristan is a remote district of Pakistan populated by fiercely independent tribes who owe allegiance to no one and unite only to repel invaders or wage jihad. Its mountainous landscape is a natural fortress-sanctuary to the Taliban, probable refuge of Osama bin Laden, and widely regarded as the "epicenter of terrorism." Waziristan is as much a powder keg today as it was when India was part of the British Empire. It was here that the infamous Fakir of Ipi waged guerrilla warfare against the foreigners and evaded the 40,000 troops sent to capture him. In this very timely book, Andrew Roe captures the essence of Waziristan's tribal culture, explains how the British managed to contain this volatile area, and provides new insight into why Bin Laden chose to hide there. Roe, a career soldier with on-the-ground experience in the region, distills the hard-earned lessons gained by the British. He explains how they sought to counter Russian expansionism in Central Asia, which was seen as a threat to tribal autonomy in India's North-West Frontier; he then tells how they pursued a policy of containment rather than control by working through indigenous forces and utilizing a combination of incentives and force to subdue and appease the tribal areas. Roe persuasively argues that many of the measures that were effective in pacifying the region in the past are equally applicable today. He stresses the importance of using force as a last resort and of harmonizing political and military activities. His bottom line: the British solutions to similar problems in the same geographical area, even though from a different era, have considerable utility for today's policymakers and military commanders in this region. Offering valuable insights, Roe's work shows how the British (long before "counterinsurgency doctrine" was embraced) grew to understand whom they were dealing with and what was possible and revised their aims accordingly—lessons the United States and its allies could well heed. At a time when the situation in southern Afghanistan is increasingly perilous, the British approach to tribal management offers useful guidance for the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan and the international community in their attempts to deal with today's challenges. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 21
Page 50
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 58
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 132
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 133
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 156
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Contents
Waziristans People History and Terrain | 15 |
The Tribal Culture of Code | 39 |
Politics Policy and Tribal Realities | 60 |
British Influence Political Control and | 83 |
The British Administrative Apparatus | 104 |
The Army of India and | 123 |
Keeping the Flame of Insurrection Alight 19381947 | 178 |
The HardEarned Lessons and Realities of the British Experience | 193 |
Waziristan Part 2 | 215 |
Contemporary Parallels and Prognostications | 241 |
Common terms and phrases
administration Afghan Afghanistan aircraft approach Army of India attack Bannu battalions Bhittanis bombs border Brigade British C. E. Bruce casualties challenges Colonel column command cultural Despite Durand Line enemy Fakir of Ipi Faqir fighting Forward Policy Frontier Legion Frontier of India Frontier Scouts Frontier Warfare government forces History of Operations hostile Ibid India Office Library India Office Records Indian Army Infantry jirga Kabul kassadars Khaisora Khan lashkar Leeson Likewise Madda Khel Mahsuds maliks military Moreover mountain Mullah N. W. Frontier North-West Frontier Province Official History Operations in Waziristan Pakistan Pashtun Pashtunwali Pathan Pettigrew picquets political agent political officers Punjab R. A. Cassels raids Razmak region regular resulted rifles road routine Royal Air Force settled districts small number soldiers South Waziristan tactical Taliban terrain Third Afghan War tion Tochi Tori Khel Trench tribal areas tribal territory tribes tribesmen troops United Service Institution University Press village Wana