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Jason Criss Howk
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U.S. War Options in Afghanistan: Choose Your Own Path Paperback – April 13, 2022

by By Jason Criss Howk (Author), A. Rahman Rahmani (Foreword)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
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"To be frank, Jason understands Afghanistan better than most Afghans. This book, it is a concise way to learn about America’s longest war that took place in my nation. I can think of no better person to explain this war to Americans, and Afghans alike."
-Colonel A. Rahman Rahmani, Former Military Officer in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

“Jason Howk brings a nuanced understanding of Afghanistan and the Afghan people to his writing. Had U.S. policymakers adopted a similar approach, the outcome of the War in Afghanistan might have been different.”
-Husain Haqqani, author and former Pakistan ambassador to the U.S.

This book is designed to help readers think through the sequence of events and decisions that four Presidents of the United States faced during America’s longest war in its history.
The U.S. war in Afghanistan lasted from October 2001 until August 2021. There were over 50 nations involved in the collation to support the Afghan people, as they tried to rebuild their nation after 35 years of violent turmoil. The Afghan people, and the nations that backed them, ultimately failed to create a sustainable government and security sector in that 20-year time period. The reasons for failure are many.
After starting at chapter 1, this book allows readers to choose their own path through the war and learn where the large and small mistakes in policy and strategy occurred. There were a few paths through this war that might have led to peace for the Afghan people. There were also many paths that led to more misery and violence. See if you can choose a better path than the route traveled by the world as they tried to help the Afghan people find peace.
Each chapter will either allow you to make a decision or reveal the results of your previous choice, and direct you to a new chapter. Multiple paths lead to a variety of outcomes. Like our presidents, you will not always have all the information you would like, when formulating your decisions.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    180 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 13, 2022
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.45 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-13
    979-8802065556
  6. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"U.S. War Options in Afghanistan by Jason Criss Howk is a Choose Your Own Path Adventure that gets you immersed in the U.S.-Afghanistan War experience. Given that the story is based on facts pertaining to America's Afghanistan policy, the choices you will make will influence the socio-political landscape of the U.S. and its global standing in the international community. As the format encourages reader participation in making choices and decisions, it helps you to think through the sequences of events and decisions that four Presidents of the United States faced during America's longest war in history. By reading this book, you are not merely a passive reader. You assume the role of a policy maker who will make important decisions and each chapter will either allow you to make a decision or reveal the results of your previous choice.

I am glad to have read this book. I grew up reading the CHOOSECO books, and U.S. War Options in Afghanistan feels like a mature and engaging upgrade. It is well-researched and intelligent. Anyone can tell that Jason Criss Howk possesses the necessary knowledge to pull off this type of work. This is not the type of book that you traditionally read from one page to the next. It will clearly give you instructions on which page to continue, pursuant to the choice or decision that you have made. Don't think that making the decisions will be easy - you will not always have access to all the details and information necessary for you to come up with the best choice that will benefit the interests of the Afghan people. This is where the excitement and the thrill of this book really shows. I highly recommend this book to everyone for its brilliance, as it will truly give you a taste of what it's like to make crucial political decisions."

-Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

From the Inside Flap

Jason Criss Howk has written a rare book that contains much needed knowledge and information on Afghanistan, a country he not only knows well and has studied in-depth for years, but he has also passionately cared about.
This is one book I unreservedly recommend for scholars and laymen alike to read on how the suffering people of Afghanistan, following over decades of war and violence, could and should have been saved from the return to power of narco-terrorists, who continue to threaten U.S. interests and undermine regional stability and international peace.
-Ambassador M. Ashraf Haidari, former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
.
While most western politicians find themselves clueless in regards to Af-Pak region, Jason provides a deeper understanding of the underlying factors of instability in Afghanistan.
He is not only an informed voice, but remains a necessary catalyst in the ongoing discourse among Afghans.
His insights and principled stance have earned him a high level of trust among the Afghan people, who otherwise feel abandoned and betrayed by the western world.
-Mariam Solaimankhil, Member of Parliament former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
.
I have known Jason since 2002, he is an authoritative expert on Afghanistan having studied the history, modern issues, and languages, and assisted many Afghan leaders, diplomats, and senior generals such as LtGen Eikenberry, Gen McChrystal, and LtGen Lamb on security and stability operations.
The book he has written is an invaluable reference for those who are involved in policy making for Afghanistan and the region. It is a great asset for students of History and politics of South Asia. I strongly recommend it to diplomats and soldiers; particularly for those expecting future service in the region.
-Retired General Sher Mohammad Karimi, Chief of Army Staff of Afghanistan 2010-15
.
For 20+ years Jason Howk served the US and Afghanistan as a military officer, civilian expert, and tenacious ally of Afghans fighting for their human rights and sovereignty. Over this time, Jason Howk was privy to the internal debates and dilemmas involved in every major US decision on Afghanistan.
He possesses an authoritative insider view of the policy options considered by the US and her allies in NATO and Afghanistan.
-Sarah Hearn OBE, International Development and Policy Expert
.
Jason Howk is a trusted name amongst Afghans. From journalists and activists to politicians and the military, his impact is felt widely. Jason has used his voice since 2002 to support the goal of peace in Afghanistan.
-Mina Sharif, Afghan-Canadian Media Consultant and Humanitarian
.
Few Americans truly understand the intrinsic dynamics of Afghanistan better than Jason. Unlike outsiders who provided ill-fated advice and commentary on Afghanistan, Jason was listening to Afghans daily for the last 20 years, building bridges between the West and Afghans.
-Haroon Andar, D.O., Afghan-American Physician
.
After September 2001, the USA sent its brightest into Afghanistan. Jason went with a mission, to help raise a failed nation up off its knees by helping Afghanistan's new leaders create hope and a security sector. Jason was at the sharp end of defense policy, and for 2 decades he worked alongside the decision makers that shaped US/NATO and Afghan policy.
He was often involved in events that held the Afghan government, US, and NATO together. Jason's personal view of this needs to be read by policymakers and military leaders that are now heading into an extremely dangerous period of world history.
We need to learn what we got right and wrong in Afghanistan. Future generations depend on us learning and processing the lessons Jason learnt.
-Chris Blackburn, South Asia Foreign Policy Expert
.
I enjoyed this exercise and learned a lot. It was interesting to see how different the advice was from the Cabinet members, and the varying opinions of Afghans. Jason does a great job taking readers through an educational journey and showing the complexity of the Afghanistan situation and the South Asia area. An excellent book, especially for readers coming in with a pre-determined political viewpoint.
-Ed Balkovic, Professor and subject matter expert in microbiology

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09XV9NPZV
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (April 13, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 180 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8802065556
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.45 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

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Jason Criss Howk

Jason Criss Howk

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Jason is an award-winning book author and freelance writer of articles, commentary, monographs, and studies with bylines in dozens of outlets. His latest book details 20 years of options faced by US Presidents as they decided the US policy for the War in Afghanistan.

Jason entered U.S. Army in 1991 and served 23 years conducting defense, diplomacy, education and intelligence missions. He focused on Islam and the broader Middle East for over 20 years in uniform. Jason spent the majority of his career working on or in Afghanistan and he still focuses on finding solutions to Afghan concerns. He continues to write, teach, and disucss topics to decrease misunderstandings about Islam and Muslim cultures.

In Afghanistan he was involved in the creation of the Afghan National Army and establishing the Security Sector Reform (SSR) program as Aide De Camp to Major General Eikenberry. During his second tour he served as Aide De Camp to General McChrystal during the US and NATO strategic assessment of the Afghan War campaign. At General McChrystal’s request he assisted LtGen (retired, UK Army) Sir Graeme Lamb in constructing the ISAF Reintegration unit that helped the Afghan government create the Afghan Peace, Reintegration and Reconciliation policy and garner international support for it.

He has worked extensively with Afghan officials, the State Department, numerous intelligence agencies, academia, and various nations’ diplomats on Afghan issues. He has studied Dari (Afghan Farsi) and Arabic at the Defense Language Institute. He is a Malone Fellow in Arab and Islamic Studies, and was a term-member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He earned his master’s degree in South Asian and Middle Eastern Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. He conducted Interfaith and Conflict Resolution courses through the US Institute for Peace.

From his Qur'an book

"Jason, the Qur'an doesn't just belong to Muslims. It's a gift to humankind from God, and it invites all people to read it, think about it, interpret it, and share it. You are answering God's call. If people don't accept that, then they don't understand Islam and should read the Qur'an again." -Dr. Abbas Kadhim, PhD in Islamic Studies and president of the Institute of Shia Studies

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful lesson on policy.
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2022
Verified Purchase
This was a truly impressive and unique book experience to choose your path based on answering questions of “if you were the president”. A powerful lesson on policy. Excellent work on relaying thought-provoking long-term ideas on national and international security. This war cost us too much and cost Afghans everything.

For 20+ years Jason has “advised senior policymakers in the U.S. and Afghan governments to include envoys for the Doha peace process, UN leaders in Kabul, and many other nation’s diplomatic and military leaders, he also worked on Afghanistan projects for the U.S. Institute of Peace with Afghans and his diplomat partners”.

If you are curious about policy, what we did right, and what we did wrong then this is an easy-to-read and comprehend book for you. Future generations certainly depend on us learning and processing the lessons Jason shares in this book. Highly recommend!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing way to understand challenges, cause and effect.
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2023
Author does a great job of allowing the reader to travel through complicated policy, diplomacy, intelligence and military operations.

Concise and you can make a game of it and read it in short bites.
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Doc
5.0 out of 5 stars Doc
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2022
This is an excellent book about the ground reality of Afghanistan. The book provides to the predisposing factors of war and instability as well as the involvement of international community in Afghanistan related matters. Jason howk is well aware of the Afghan situation as he was closely involved in both Afghan politics and building Afghan Military. Our future depends to the quality of decisions our leaders make and this is only possible if we learn from our past mistakes as is addressed in this book. This is why I highly recommend this book for everyone.
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Hande Z
1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointment all round
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is a self-published book by the author who says that he is an Afghan war veteran. The foreword was written by a former colonel of the Afghan army. This is not a very useful or informative book. It is more like an Afghan workbook in which the reader is invited to choose which course of action he would have taken given each scenario presented by the author. Each chapter sets out a different scenario, and in many instances, if the reader picks a particular course, he is asked to refer to another chapter. All in, this is only interesting if the reader treats it like a game – and even then, it really is not that interesting either.
If the Afghanistan War is the subject of your interest, I would recommend Craig Whitlock’s ‘The Afghanistan Papers’. That is detailed and well-written, and it was published about a month before the US withdrawal in September 2021, so it remains the most up-to-date book on the US Afghanistan war.
One person found this helpful
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Haroon Andar
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful book, written by someone who was on the ground.
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2022
It's easy to get caught up with hysteria, false information, and fog of politics when it comes to the Afghan War. Unfortunately, many politicians expressed opinions and implemented policies that were contrary to ground realities in Afghanistan. This book is an excellent publication giving insight for anyone who is curious about the War in Afghanistan, approaches, options, and factual information. I highly recommend it, especially if you want to get a different point of view from the usual desk critics who sit in the world of academics, and were not there on the front lines. Highly recommend this book for a read!
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Ed in North Carolina USA
5.0 out of 5 stars If you really want to understand 20 yrs. of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan - Get this book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2022
Jason did a great job taking readers through a very educational journey. I enjoyed the exercise tracing our 20 year involvement in Afghanistan. I learned a lot. The decision-making flow went very well. Very interesting to see how different agencies (DOD, CIA, State, & Afghans themselves) gave such different advice. I think Jason also did a great job showing the complexity of the Afghanistan situation and the South Asia area, in general. This book should be an excellent learning experience, especially for those individuals coming in with a pre-determined political viewpoint. One important decision every reader needs to make by the end of this exercise - Is Pakistan our friend or a foe?
3 people found this helpful
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Stephan Jensen
5.0 out of 5 stars Clever way to show major decision-points and contingencies over the last 20 years in Afghanistan
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2022
Short, accessible, and to the point - this book does a good job at highlighting the major decision points faced by the US in Afghanistan. While a lot of the recent writing on Afghanistan seeks to show that everything that happened was inevitable, this book shows how big choices were made along the way, and little if anything of the outcome was pre-determined.
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Mich. E
5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly as described and concise
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2022
If you are looking for a primer on the US policy options in Afghanistan, this is perfect. The author delivers exactly what they described in the amazon book description. Reminds me of the choose your own adventure books from the 1980s…and readers get to be the president in this scenario. A quick and simple way to understand all the things America could have done, and see if you can choose a better path.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Stephan Jensen
5.0 out of 5 stars Clever way to show major decision-points and contingencies over the last 20 years in Afghanistan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
Very much enjoyed this. Clever format for highlighting some of the big decisions and the huge amount of contingency in the course of events over the last 20 years in Afghanistan. There is a tendency in a lot of the Afghanistan literature to argue after the fact that everything that happened was inevitable and the outcome was pre-determined from the beginning. This short and accessible book highlights the extent to which this was not at all the case.

Also worth mentioning that Howk has worked at very senior levels with US and Afghan decision-makers, giving him an orchestra seat to a lot of the issues he writes about.
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