"This book describes the conduct of the U.S.-led post-9/11 war6 in Afghanistan via a long-term historical perspective. It investigates the reasons behind Washington's entrapment in a self-sustaining overreach, emphasizing policy mistakes made in late 2001 and the contradictions associated with foreign-led democratization and state-building"-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction : Hubris, Self-interest, and America's failed war in Afghanistan: The self-sustaining overreach -- I. THE STRUCTURAL WEIGHT OF REALISM : FOREIGN SECURITY INTERESTS AND THE US ENTANGLEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN. US Cold War and post-Cold War policy : a volatile and security-driven interest for the Afghan pawn -- Operation Enduring Freedom : a campaign in search for strategic coherence -- Pouring the US-led coalition's resources in a bottomless pit : Pakistan's predictable double game -- II. TOWARD THE SELF-SUSTAINING OVERREACH : GRANDIOSE PROJECTS, STRUCTURAL AMBIGUITIES, AND QUESTIONABLE SUSTAINABILITY. The promises and profound ambiguities of the US-led coalition's democratization agenda -- The promises and profound ambiguities of the US-led reconstruction and state-building agenda -- The price of intractable contradictions : a seemingly unending security degradation -- III. THE OBAMA ERA : A FINAL SHOWDOWN TO SECURE A "DECENT INTERVAL?" The Obama Era : new intentions, same old strategic horizon -- The surge : disappointing results and unaltered path to withdrawal -- Afghanistan in 2015 : betrayed promises? -- Conclusion.