This book sprang from a conviction that despite a continuous barrage of reporting and published works, Afghanistan’s story since 2001 has yet to be properly told. I hope this modest contribution will serve as a reminder to others of our obligation to bear witness to these extraordinary events—if only to show succeeding generations of Afghans, as well as a broader global audience, what was attempted, and what achieved.
My first debt of gratitude goes to all who worked with me in the Canadian embassy and in Canada’s Task Force Kabul from 2003 to 2005. For professionalism and dedication, they were second to none, making the “3-Ds”* mantra a reality, while never losing sight of our goal—to bring peace, stability and a more prosperous future to Afghans.
Exceptional Canadians populate every aspect of this story. Nipa Banerjee and Eileen Olexiuk, who may have done more to frame Canada’s exemplary effort than any other individuals, have my special praise, as do Lieutenant General Andrew Leslie and General (ret’d.) Rick Hillier, whose leadership within ISAF set a standard their successors were hard pressed to match. Canada’s Task Force, Battle Group, Strategic Advisory Team and other commanders, together with the tens of thousands of men and women deployed from across the Canadian Forces, left a singular legacy. They were the epitome of courage, competence, teamwork, finesse, tenacity and clarity of vision. I would also like to thank the embassy’s Military Security Guards (2003–05)—Securitas!
But this was never a single nation’s mission. Like the Persian, Macedonian, Kushan and even Soviet campaigns of old, the forces deployed since 2001 have been multinational, and they were often ill-prepared. But NATO’s campaign has taken a fresh path. Thanks to countries from Mongolia to Iceland (with even Macedonia back after two millennia!), ISAF has brought together a strong plurality of the world’s deployable armies. It has also—thanks to British, Canadian and German leadership until 2006, and US thereafter—expanded its capabilities every year, restoring Afghan capacity along the way. I wish to salute all the men and women of ISAF with whom it was a true privilege to serve— and to pay tribute to the memory of those who did not make it home.
The diplomatic corps, though smaller in number, was every bit the equal of this military machine for ingenuity and sheer commitment. Over six years, I was constantly amazed by the qualities of my colleagues—from the EU’s Francesc Vendrell, Russia’s Zamir Kabulov, France’s Jean de Ponton d’Amécourt and the UK’s Dame Rosalind Marsden and Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles to Italy’s Ettore Sequi, Pakistan’s Tariq Azizuddin and India’s Vivek Katju, Rakesh Sood and Jayant Prasad, as well as the Aga Khan Development Network’s Aly Mawji and the US quartet of Zalmay Khalilzad, Ron Neumann, “Chemical” Bill Wood and Karl Eikenberry. Thrusting aside (most days!) the siren call of the Great Game, they made this a team effort. This book draws only indirectly on our shared experience. I am grateful to them all for their friendship, trust and wisdom.
From my earliest days in Kabul, one of Afghanistan’s greatest post-Taliban treasures was the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). It had Afghan and international talent in spades. Its political judgment was the best on offer. Sadly, from 2006 to 2009, when it was finally starting to become large enough to fulfil its mandate, its impact as a civilian organization was blunted by the reality of war. But I would like to congratulate the UN Country Team— all the agencies, funds and programs operating in Afghanistan—for their high principles, and thank UNAMA’s heads—Brahimi, Arnault, Koenigs and Eide (and their deputies, Grandi, Haq and Asplund)— for their leadership. Afghanistan owes a great deal to UNAMA’s pluck, resilience and acumen. It was an honour to serve with these men and women; I hope this slender volume does some small measure of justice to their effort. They have all understood how this story is ultimately about protecting ordinary people from violence, impunity and want.
My deepest thanks must go to all my Afghan friends and colleagues. It is fashionable to tar Afghan leaders indiscriminately with the brush of corruption. The reality is much more complex—and reassuring. Throughout this enterprise, Afghanistan has had a president, ministers, officers, business leaders, ulema, women parliamentarians, political leaders, writers, musicians and tribal elders of rare quality. While far from perfect, they each faced obstacles unimaginable to most outside the country. This is their story. Life in Afghanistan was for me uplifting and meaningful only because of them.
From 2009 until 2011, I conducted over 150 interviews for this book, which of necessity reflects only a fraction of the material gleaned. I am grateful to all my friends and colleagues for their confidences, which have shaped my judgments. In particular, I wish to thank Aly Mawji, Saad Mohseni, Ashraf Ghani, Tahoora Moheb and Haneef Atmar, as well as my former drivers, Zia and Akhtar.
I would like to thank my agent, Michael Levine, and HarperCollins editors Jennifer Lambert, Alex Schultz and Noelle Zitzer for their patience in bringing a first-time author into print. Senior publicist Lindsey Love, copy editor Judy Phillips and proofreader Janice Weaver also have my gratitude. I especially wish to thank editor Jonathan Kay for his collaboration, without which this book would not have the focus its subject so richly deserves.
Since I wrote this book, the electors of Ajax-Pickering have seen fit to send me to the House of Commons in Ottawa as their Member of Parliament. For years now, they have gathered on the Highway of Heroes that passes through our riding to honour our fallen soldiers. Every step of the way they have reminded me—by large gestures and small—that this project has been worth each ounce of energy expended upon it.
I am also most grateful to Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his courageous leadership, and to Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay and Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird for their encouragement.
The mistakes and shortcomings are all mine—without exception. It has been hard to exclude so many memorable episodes. But Hedvig, Selma and I, together with all our friends from Afghanistan, will be celebrating them forevermore.
* Defence, development and diplomacy.