Tribes of terror
Our friends at the Claremont Review of Books (subscribe here) advise us that the upcoming winter issue promises to be one of the best yet, with essays by Victor Davis Hanson on the inevitability of mistakes (but not victory) in warfare, Andrew Busch on the 2008 presidential race, Harry V. Jaffa on the moral universe of Lincoln's favorite Shakespeare play, Macbeth, and much more.
Stanley Kurtz's review/essay on Waziristan makes a signal contribution to our understanding of the current crisis in Pakistan, how Islamic terrorists are taking over and what can be done about it. Al-Qaeda and the Taliban have made Pakistan’s mountainous northern region of Waziristan into a headquarters for the worldwide Islamist revolution. Kurtz examines, in particular, the work of Akbar Ahmed, a British-trained anthropologist, who briefly served as governor in the region. Ahmed’s insights illuminate the ties between local tribal honor codes and Islamic jihad. Ahmed's work and his experience in the region’s politics suggest strategies that may be effective in successfully waging the war on terrorism.
Kurtz's essay will be featured in the CRB’s forthcoming Winter 2007/08 issue, due out at the beginning of December. Given its timeliness, our friends at the CRB have made it available online now. Please do not miss Stanley Kurtz's outstanding review/essay "Tribes of terror."
UPDATE: Over at NRO's Corner, Stanley Kurtz writes:
The dark heart of the war on terror resides in Pakistan’s Waziristan region. This is where al Qaeda has reconstituted its sanctuary. And that is why the current crisis in nuclear-armed Pakistan is so dangerous.What is life in Waziristan like, and why is this poorly-known tribal region now home to some of the West’s deadliest enemies? For that matter, what is Muslim "tribalism," and why has tribal life become an ever-more-obviously important factor in the war on terror? I attempt to answer these questions, and more, in a new piece for the Claremont Review of Books. It’s been years since a research project has shaped my understanding of the war on terror this much.
