The Taliban Shuffle

By Kim Barker

Subjects: Afghan war, 2001-2021, Afghan War, 2001-, Biography, Afghan War (2001- ) fast (OCoLC)fst01695175, Pakistan, history, Afghan war, 2001-, Afghanistan, history, New York Times reviewed, Press coverage, War correspondents, History, Journalists, biography, Afghan War, 2001-2021, War correspondents, united states

Description: In The Taliban Shuffle, Barker offers an insider’s account of the “forgotten war” in Afghanistan and Pakistan, chronicling the years after America’s initial routing of the Taliban, when we failed to finish the job. When Barker arrives in Kabul, foreign aid is at a record low, electricity is a pipe dream, and of the few remaining foreign troops, some aren’t allowed out after dark. Meanwhile, in the vacuum left by the U.S. and NATO, the Taliban is regrouping as the Afghan and Pakistani governments floun­der. Barker watches Afghan police recruits make a travesty of practice drills and observes the disorienting turnover of diplomatic staff. She is pursued romantically by the former prime minister of Pakistan and sees adrenaline-fueled col­leagues disappear into the clutches of the Taliban. And as her love for these hapless countries grows, her hopes for their stability and security fade.