Day After

R. Gallagher Brendan

Description

Since 9/11, why have we won smashing battlefield victories only to botch nearly everything that comes next? In the opening phases of war in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, we mopped the floor with our enemies. But in short order, things went horribly wrong.We soon discovered we had no coherent plan to manage the "day after." The ensuing debacles had truly staggering consequences-many thousands of lives lost, trillions of dollars squandered, and the apparent discrediting of our foreign policy establishment. This helped set the stage for an extraordinary historical moment in which America's role in the world, along with our commitment to democracy at home and abroad, have become subject to growing doubt. With the benefit of hindsight, can we discern what went wrong? Why have we had such great difficulty planning for the aftermath of war?In The Day After, Brendan Gallagher-an Army lieutenant colonel with multiple combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, and a Princeton Ph.D.-seeks to tackle this vital question. Gallagher argues there is a tension between our desire to create a new democracy and our competing desire to pull out as soon as possible. Our leaders often strive to accomplish both to keep everyone happy. But by avoiding the tough underlying decisions, it fosters an incoherent strategy. This makes chaos more likely.The Day After draws on new interviews with dozens of civilian and military officials, ranging from US cabinet secretaries to four-star generals. It also sheds light on how, in Kosovo, we lowered our postwar aims to quietly achieve a surprising partial success. Striking at the heart of what went wrong in our recent wars, and what we should do about it, Gallagher asks whether we will learn from our mistakes, or provoke even more disasters? Human lives, money, elections, and America's place in the world may hinge on the answer.

Sujets

• USA
• Military history
• Peacekeeping
• International relations
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 septembre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781501739637
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

TheDayAfter

TheDayAfter

WhyAmericaWinstheWar but Loses the Peace

BrendanR.Gallagher

CornellUniversityPress IthacaandLondon

Copyright©2019byCornellUniversity

Allrightsreserved.Exceptforbriefquotationsinareview,thisbook,or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. Visit our website at cornellpress.cornell.edu.

Firstpublished2019byCornellUniversityPress

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData

Names: Gallagher, Brendan R., 1978– author. Title: The day after : why America wins the war but loses the peace / Brendan R. Gallagher. Description: Ithaca, New York : Cornell University Press, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2019008044 (print) | LCCN 2019018062 (ebook) | ISBN 9781501739637 (pdf) | ISBN 9781501739644 (epub/mobi) | ISBN 9781501739620 (cloth ; alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Nationbuilding—United States—Case studies. | Peacebuilding, American—Case studies. | Postwar reconstruction— Case studies. | Kosovo War, 1998–1999—Participation, American. | Afghan War, 2001– | Iraq War, 2003–2011. | Libya—History—Civil War, 2011—Participation, American. | United States—Military policy. | United States—Foreign relations—1989– Classification: LCC JZ6300 (ebook) | LCC JZ6300 .G35 2019 (print) | DDC 327.1—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019008044

U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, 2009. © Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos.

ForElizabethandourfourterrific kids

“Wouldyoutellme,please,whichway I ought to go from here?”

“Thatdependsagooddealonwhereyouwanttogetto,” said the Cat.

“Idon’tcaremuchwhere—”saidAlice.

“Thenitdoesn’tmatterwhichwayyougo,”saidtheCat.

“—solongasIgetsomewhere,” Alice added as an explanation.

“Oh,you’resuretodothat,”saidtheCat, “if you only walk long enough.”

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland LewisCarroll

Just when I thought I was out . . . they pull me back in.

The Godfather: Part III MichaelCorleone

Acknowledgments

C

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Introduction:ATroublingPattern

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1.Kosovo:NotPerfect,butTolerable

2.Afghanistan:ARoadtoIncoherence

3.Iraq:TheWorstofAllWorlds

4.Libya:ASlipperySlope

Conclusion:ToLearnorNottoLearn

NoteonSources

FurtherReading

Notes

Bibliography

Index

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Thisbookwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutextensivehelpandsup port. First, a wide range of interviews unearthed new knowledge that significantly influenced the trajectory of this book. I am grateful to doz ens of civilian and military officials who provided personal recollections, candid insights, and other forms of crucial assistance. I would particu larly like to thank General (retired) John Abizaid, Colonel (retired) Kevin Benson, General (retired) George Casey, Christopher Chivvis, Derek Chollet, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Collins, Ambassador James Dobbins, Colonel (retired) Michael Dziedzic, Peter Feaver, Colonel (retired) Thomas Fisher, Ben Fishman, Colonel (retired) Michael Fitzgerald, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy MichÈle Flournoy, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Ambassador Marc Grossman, General (retired) Carter Ham, former Deputy Assistant Sec retary of State Leonard Hawley, Colonel (retired) Michael Hess, Colonel (retired) Paul Hughes, Michael Hurley, Lieutenant General (retired) Ralph Jodice, Erica Kaster, Admiral (retired) Samuel Locklear, Lieutenant General