Hagstrom, Jacob America's Favorite Warlord

The Life and Death of General Raziq of Kandahar

This book portrays the U.S. war in Afghanistan from a new perspectivethat of a man who ranked among the most dynamic and formidable of Americas late-war allies. Critics excoriated him as just another one of those corrupt "strongmen" who have dominated Central Asia over the past four decades. Yet a closer look at Raziqs milieu allows Western readers to understand how military leaders gained influence over Afghan governance after 2001much in the same way Americans in the past, facing insecurity at home, turned to charismatic authoritarians to ensure justice. Why did foreigners continue to work with Raziq despite his dubious reputation? The short answer is: because he was militarily competent. However, conversations with General Raziqs former associates revealed that "competence" in the realm of counterinsurgency could take on many different facets. Over the course of his career, Raziq did not merely track down and kill Taliban fighters; he also provided intelligence, recruited and organized troops, galvanized flagging units, and facilitated outsiders' access to the complex tribal politics of Kandahar province. Above all, however, his charisma and drive inspired hopeboth among his military partners and across broad segments of the Kandahar population. Almost everyone who met Raziq remarked on the power of his personalityan aura that, in the final years of his life, attained near-cult status. Raziq rose to power as a "hybrid" figure, drawing his authority equally from his military capabilities and his standing within the tribal hierarchy. This hybridity explains why his leadership style was characterized by flexibility and inclusivity rather than authoritarianism. Although he began his career as a representative of a narrowly defined tribal militia, he ended it as a nationalist committed to building coalitions. In our contemporary eramarked by militarized borders, proxy wars, and insurgenciesRaziqs career as a regional "strongman" offers an illuminating case study of the enduring security dilemmas facing our world.