AKBAR AHMED HOW AMERICA’S WAR ON TERROR BECAME A GLOBAL WAR ON TRIBAL ISLAM n the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the United States declared war on terrorism. More than ten years later, the results are decidedly mixed. Here world-renowned author, diplomat, and scholar Akbar Ahmed reveals an important yet largely ignored result of this war: in many nations it has exacerbated the already broken relationship between central I governments and the largely rural Muslim tribal societies on the peripheries of both Muslim and non-Muslim nations. The center and the periphery are engaged in a mutually destructive civil war across the globe, a conflict that has been intensified by the war on terror. Conflicts between governments and tribal societies predate the war on terror in many regions, from South Asia to the Middle East to North Africa, pitting those in the centers of power against those who live in the outlying provinces. Akbar Ahmed’s unique study demonstrates that this conflict between the center and the periphery has entered a new and dangerous stage with U.S. involvement after 9/11 and the deployment of drones, in the hunt for al Qaeda, threatening the very existence of many tribal societies. American firepower and its vast anti-terror network have turned the war on terror into a global war on tribal Islam. And too often the victims are innocent children at school, women in their homes, workers simply trying to earn a living, and worshipers in their mosques. Bat- tered by military attacks or drone strikes one day and suicide bombers the next, the tribes bemoan, “Every day is like 9/11 for us.” In The Thistle and the Drone, the third vol- ume in Ahmed’s groundbreaking trilogy examin- ing relations between America and the Muslim world, the author draws on forty case studies representing the global span of Islam to demon- strate how the U.S. has become involved directly or indirectly in each of these societies. The study &217,18('21%$&.)/$3³ provides the social and historical context necessary to understand how both central governments and tribal societies have become embroiled in America’s war. Beginning with Waziristan and expanding to societies in Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere, Ahmed offers a fresh approach to the conflicts studied and presents an un- precedented paradigm for understanding and winning the war on terror. AKBAR AHMED is the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, D.C. He was the former Pakistani high commissioner to the United Kingdom, the first Distinguished Chair of Middle East Studies at the U.S. Naval Academy, and is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Among his previous books are Journey into Islam and Journey into America, both published by Brookings. He is also a published poet and playwright. COVER IMAGES © ISTOCKPHOTO JACKET BY SESE-PAUL DESIGN the thistle andthe drone Ahmed.indb 1 2/12/13 8:34 PM Praise for The Thistle and the Drone “In the end, like the Kurdish observers of Noor in Sulaimani in the book, I was close to tears. Lagrimas caudales or “flowing tears,” to use the apposite phrase of Blas de Otero, seems to be what the book’s conclusions lead to. This is particularly true if, like me, you have been very, very close to the center of decisionmaking in the U.S. and you know how incapable it is of embracing such sophisticated reasoning, let alone developing and applying strategies in accordance with such reasoning. Thus lagrimas for the tribes, for the soldiers, and for the United States. If one extrapolates from Professor Ahmed’s findings and from the history of torture as well, ‘bug splat’, as the victims of drone strikes are called, and torture live in the same house. Ahmed makes clear that, like torture, the creation of such profound fear wounds the creators as well— destroying their liberties, polluting their democracy, and devouring their souls. Professor Ahmed gives us the only way out of this dangerous dilemma, a way to coexist with the thistle without the drone.”—Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell and Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of William and Mary “Riveting in its original description of events we thought we knew and revealing in its trenchant analysis of their contexts, Akbar Ahmed shows us how vital are the world’s tribes to our understanding of and interactions with the Muslim world. This highly original combination of firsthand experience and insightful synthesis is an indispensable guide to policymakers and concerned readers who want to comprehend just how astonishing is the world when seen through the eyes of a brilliant and dedicated guide.” —Lawrence Rosen, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Anthropology, Princeton University “This book is the culmination of a lifetime’s work. The contribution of Professor Akbar Ahmed to peace and harmony and broader understanding among the human race is beyond any imagination. I believe he is the most humble, inspirational and highly respected scholar amongst all faiths and communities today. I support wholeheartedly what he has done in this book—pleading for compassion and rejecting violence of any kind against fellow humans. May God help and support his Mission!”— Dr. James Shera, MBE, Sitara-e-Pakistan (Star of Pakistan), former mayor of Rugby and prominent Christian Pakistani leader in the UK 00-2378-3 fm.indd 2 2/13/13 11:14 AM “Akbar Ahmed is one of the few scholars intimately familiar with East and West as well as Judaism, Christianity, and especially Islam. He provides the reader with a treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge. By applying different fields of learning, notably anthropology, to explore cross-cultural and even cross-civilizational encounters, Ahmed has produced a profound and significant book. The 20th century witnessed mass destruction and genocide. The 21st century is going the same way, and The Thistle and the Drone is a wake-up call to all of us before it is too late. This is a must-read book.” —Dr. Edward Kessler, MBE, Founder and Director, The Woolf Institute, and Fellow of St. Edmunds College, University of Cambridge, UK “In this groundbreaking and startling book, Akbar Ahmed bravely uncovers an inconvenient truth, a fearful reality which endangers us all and in which we are all implicated. It should be required reading for those working in the media, policymaking, and education—and, indeed, for anybody who wishes to understand our tragically polarized world.”—Karen Armstrong, Author of A History of God and creator of the Charter for Compassion “Yet another brilliantly written masterpiece, a must-read for all, particularly Muslims who have an interest in understanding the roots of the conflicts that go back in history but have become accentuated since 9/11. Only Akbar Ahmed can give us these insights into the post- modern era we live in and the conflicts that bedevil our times through this highly readable and deeply engaging narrative.”—Dr. Jafer Qureshi, Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatry, Trustee of Muslim Aid, and co-convenor of the UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs “The author has examined drone operations in the Tribal Areas of Pakistan and elsewhere in Muslim tribal societies from a rare combina- tion of perspectives. Firstly those of a political agent managing tribes in Pakistan’s lawless Tribal Areas, then as a top notch anthropologist, and finally as a diplomat and a teacher of comparative religion. It is a wonder how one could encompass so many diverse careers in one lifetime. Policymakers need to pay heed to Akbar Ahmed’s message. This writing is a tour de force on the subject and replete with practical wisdom.”— Khalid Aziz, former political agent, North Waziristan Agency and Chief Secretary, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, and Chairman, Regional Institute of Policy Research and Training, Peshawar, Pakistan 00-2378-3 fm.indd 3 2/13/13 11:14 AM “The Thistle and the Drone provides a trenchant and original critique of the conduct of the U.S. government’s declared war on global terrorism. Ambassador Akbar Ahmed brilliantly illuminates the complex and little understood world of Islamic tribal societies. Policymakers should take heed.” —Thomas Banchoff, Professor of Government, and Director, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Georgetown University, Washington D.C. “While being faithful to Islam, Akbar Ahmed is also a true humanist, looking for the best in other religions, in Euro-American traditions of human rights, and in cultural anthropology. Yet he also has an unsentimental grasp of geopolitical realities and dangers. He deserves a wide readership for his new analysis of center-periphery relations in the Muslim world, which is reminiscent of past masters of social science such as Ibn Khaldun and Ernest Gellner but also brings to bear his unique practical experience as a former government administrator in the Tribal Areas of Pakistan.”—Jonathan Benthall, former director of the Royal Anthropological Institute and Founding Editor of Anthropology Today “While our technology is advancing at such an unprecedented pace, our cultural and human intelligence seems not only not to have kept pace but is increasingly being marginalized where fast but far-reaching decisions are being made every day. Professor Ahmed’s excellent book is a must-read for policymakers and students of international affairs as it opens our eyes to the complexities faced by governments and societies around the world. It is also a timely book that brings to our attention vast areas of human suffering from which we have become detached.”— His Imperial Highness Ermias Sahle Selassie of Ethiopia “Akbar Ahmed’s latest literary journey—The Thistle and the Drone—is a compelling and insightful study of the suffering, the dilemmas, the dangers and the challenges facing our world.