Afghanistan: The Perfect Failure

Afghanistan: The Perfect Failure, shatters the myth that the war in Afghanistan is the “good war.” There is nothing good about this war. Afghanistan is riddled with corruption, from top to bottom. Official corruption, fueled by the unchecked opium trade, is what’s killing Afghanistan, not the Taliban – not al Qaeda. At best, the Taliban represents a third-rate insurgency. However, a coalition of well-meaning nations is contributing billions of dollars and thousands of soldiers fighting the wrong enemy in the wrong way. John Cook rips away the veil that has hidden the unspeakable abuse of Afghan women at the hands of the Taliban and the current government. He lays out, in chilling detail, our misguided policy concerning poppy production in Afghanistan which allows Afghanistan to produce 97% of the world’s opium supply, with the blessings of both the Afghan government and the coalition. In addition to supporting official corruption, the proceeds from the opium fund over 90% of the Taliban’s operations.

Unparalleled access to all levels of the Afghan government and coalition forces is the result of John Cook’s tenure in Afghanistan. Over the past four and a half years, he has developed an intimate and alarming insight into what has become a hand-wringing quagmire of politically correct, socially and culturally sensitive policies and programs that continue to be implemented, and that can only result in catastrophic failure for the United States, the coalition and the average Afghan. Mr. Cook offers unprecedented insight as he digs deep to rip away at the misguided and destructive policies, including the infamous “Rules of Engagement” that doom our soldiers for the sake of political correctness and cultural sensitivity. This raw and disturbing account covers the truths regarding the appalling and cruel treatment of women, the squandering of foreign aid by, and corruption of, the “Karzai-centric” government that includes the betrayal of its own people. He presents eye-opening insight into the tribal structure that has traditionally guided the Afghan mindset and, despite efforts to “westernize”, will not go away. He details the inexplicable and infuriating policies regarding failures associated with poppy eradication, and it is the poppies that are the fuel for terrorist activities. He further provides explanations for the Taliban’s continuing control and the problems associated with our “well-intentioned” but misguided counterinsurgency strategies against the Taliban and al Qaeda - strategies that fail our mission and our soldiers. In this reasoned, forceful and intellectually honest treatise, he also courageously dissects the disturbing role of Islam and forces the reader to come face to face with the reality that Islam, not the Taliban, is the real enemy in Afghanistan. After reading Afghanistan: The Perfect Failure, we can only conclude we must no longer turn a blind eye to what is happening in Afghanistan. Mr. Cook’s dissection is powerful and provocative. The American public deserves more than the thin veil of reporting that has been done on the subjects in this expose. Due to his longevity in this war torn country and high- level access, few, if any, have had the opportunity to gain the inside and knowledge afforded John Cook; none have had the courage to publicly reveal the shameful truth.

Lieutenant Colonel John L. Cook, United States Army (Retired), served as the Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Interior in Kabul, Afghanistan, with responsibility for developing the force structure for the entire Afghan National Police. As of 2012, this force totals 157,000. From March 2008 until August 2012, his access and intimate associations with all levels of the Afghan government and coalition forces have provided him with an unprecedented insight into the policies which will determine the outcome of the war. It is this insight, coupled with his contacts and associations throughout Afghanistan that form the basis of Afghanistan: The Perfect Failure. John Cook is not new to war zones. In addition to four and a half years in Afghanistan, he has spent over two years in Vietnam as an intelligence officer and became the youngest District Senior Advisor in Vietnam. He was one of the first intelligence officers in Vietnam responsible for the implementation of the Phoenix Program, the most successful counterinsurgency program ever initiated by the U.S. military. Upon his return from Vietnam, he authored The Advisor: The Phoenix Program in Vietnam, recognized as one of the premier texts on defeating insurgences, now in its third edition, and Rescue Under Fire: The History of Dustoff in Vietnam, which is currently in screenplay adaptation for film. John Cook graduated with a B.A. from the University of Delaware and has a Master’s Degree from Boston University. He is considered an expert in counterinsurgency, having written doctrine on this subject for the U.S. Army Intelligence Center & School. In addition, he is the recipient of the Silver Star, 3 Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Vietnamese Medal of Honor and several other combat and peacetime awards. He has served as the publisher and editor for the Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Journal. His recollections of Vietnam are included in Ron Steinman’s “A Soldier’s Story” both as a book and television documentary. John Cook has been married to his wife, Sara, for 38 years. They now reside in Florida with their sons, Zachary and Joshua, and daughter-in-law Katelyn.