Frederick A. Marcotte Library Digital Display

The day the towers fell, indelible images of plummeting rubble, fire, and falling bodies were imprinted in the memories of people around the world. Images that were caught in the media loop after the disaster and coverage of the attack, its aftermath, and the wars that followed reflected a pervasive tendency to treat these tragic events as spectacle. Though the collapse of the World Trade Center was "the most photographed disaster in history," it failed to yield a single noteworthy image of carnage. Thomas Stubblefield argues that the absence within these spectacular images is the paradox of 9/11 visual culture, which foregrounds the visual experience as it obscures the event in absence, erasure, and invisibility. From the spectral presence of the Tribute in Light to Art Spiegelman's nearly blank New Yorker cover, and from the elimination of the Twin Towers from television shows and films to the monumental cavities of Michael Arad's 9/11 memorial, the void became the visual shorthand for the incident. By examining configurations of invisibility and erasure across the media of photography, film, monuments, graphic novels, and digital representation, Stubblefield interprets the post-9/11 presence of absence as the reaffirmation of national identity that implicitly laid the groundwork for the impending invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Join Ann Curry for dramatic reunions between people whose lives intersected on 9/11. Patrick searches for the New York stranger who comforted him after the disaster, while Timothy hopes to thank the fellow chaplain who gave him the strength to carry on at the Pentagon

Ever since the attacks on America in September 2001, conspiracy theories—some credible, others less so—have persisted about what actually took place. Fifteen years after 9/11, this documentary takes a look at some of the theories surrounding the attacks and investigates whether information is still being held back. The film presents a range of views, from families who say they haven’t been told the full story by the U.S. administration to insiders who say how they believe the attacks could have been prevented

On September 11, 2001, 184 people lost their lives when American Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon. Today, people are surprised to hear that the Pentagon was ever a target. Few know about those who escaped, many terrifyingly close to the impact zone. This is the most complete telling of what happened at the Pentagon on a day that forever changed our world

This book tells the story of the United States' relationship with the Taliban from the start of the Taliban movement until its retreat from Kabul in the face of the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. The US and the Taliban held countless meetings, but could never come to a workable arrangement, and this book examines both why diplomatic recognition was so important to the Taliban government and why the US refused to recognize it. It presents a concise, readable, and interesting perspective on US/Taliban relations from the fall of Kabul in 1996 until the fall of Kabul in 2001.

Even though the people of Afghanistan in general suffered under the rule of the Taliban, women lived especially difficult lives, enduring terrible hardships. They were denied basic human rights, forced to wear veils and kept in seclusion. This work addresses the religion, revolution, and national identity of Afghan women and places them within their gender-political and religious-political roles, thus elevating our understanding of their abuse, imprisonment and murder, and offering a basis for their rehabilitation. Powerful and moving interviews with Afghan women conducted and translated by the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan are presented and a brief history of the struggle of the Afghan women and an overview of the conflict between the Afghans and the Taliban are included.

Why has the Taliban been so much more effective in presenting messages that resonate with the Afghan population than the United States, the Afghan government and their allies? This book, based on years of field research and the assessment of hundreds of original source materials, examines the information operations and related narratives of Afghan insurgents, especially the Afghan Taliban, and investigates how the Taliban has won the information war. Taliban messaging, wrapped in the narrative of jihad, is both to the point and in tune with its target audiences. On the other hand, the United States and its Kabul allies committed a basic messaging blunder, failing to present narratives that spoke to or, often, were even understood by their target audiences. Thomas Johnson systematically explains why the United States lost this "battle of the story" in Afghanistan, and argues that this defeat may have cost the US the entire war, despite its conventional and technological superiority.

Afghanistan has long been considered a remote and uninviting country to all but its closest neighbors. This lightly populated agricultural and pastoral nation has guarded its independence in the age of European imperialism thanks in large part to its limited perceived value. Political isolation - reinforced by a conservative tribal culture - kept most of the cultural and economic changes of the modern world at bay. Slowly, however, modern ways and values began to penetrate into the capital city of Kabul. A Brief History of Afghanistan, Second Edition examines this country's isolation and how it found itself involved in 30 years of war and anarchy. This updated resource provides extensive background information so readers can understand the issues and make informed judgments of their own. Offering a clear, concise account of this country's historical and cultural heritage, from 3000 BCE to the present, this insightful book explores the culture and politics of the Pashtun tribes whose homeland extends across much of Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, as well as the Taliban insurgency and the relationship between local leaders and the central government in Kabul. Coverage includes: The rise of Islam to the establishment of the Afghan state The birth of modern Afghanistan The 20th-century monarchy Two revolutions Soviet Afghanistan Afghanistan in rebellion Mujahideen rule The Taliban era Afghanistan under Karzai The Taliban resurgence.

Afghanistan has been at the crossroads of many cultures and civilizations, occupying a unique place in the cultural geography of Central Asia. Invading tribes and armies passed through ancient Afghanistan and left their imprint on the culture, customs, and way of life there. In recent history, Afghanistan has been the focus of international attention since the Soviet invasion and occupation of 1979-1989, the brutal civil war that ensued, and the subsequent U.S. invasion to topple the Taliban regime. As the country struggles to stabilize and rebuild, this volume is the first to reveal the people and ways of life that have been in flux for so long. Emadi brings an insider's knowledge and authority to the accessible narrative. Students and general readers will find a clear explanation of the land, people, economy, social stratification, and history as context for the chapters that follow. In the chapter on Religion and Religious Thought, the predominant Islamic religion is largely intertwined with political events that have brought Afghanistan such attention. The lesser-known literature and the arts are brought to light next. A strong Architecture, Housing, and Settlements chapter highlights many styles unfamiliar to most Westerners. Coverage of Afghan cooking and cuisine brings a more intimate understanding of the culture. The chapter on Family, Women, and Gender will draw readers in with its survey of how the family works, what is expected of women, and what courtship, marriage, childrearing, and education are like today. A standout of the Festivals and Leisure Activities chapter is the vivid rendering of the sport called Buzkashi, where men on horseback vie to move an animal carcass across a field to a goal. A final chapter on Lifestyles, Media, and Education describes the urban vs. rural lifestyles, the state of communications, and the prospects for schooling post Taliban. A country map, glossary, resource guide, and photos complement the text.

Images of Afghanistan provides the first-ever overview of the art and literature of Afghanistan. 32 chapters on art, music, film, proverbs, short stories, poetry, cartoons, and folktales in popular style offer key insights into the complexities of Afghan culture. The book is divided into seven sections. Introductory chapters focus on the history of Afghanistan and understanding culture through art and literature. A Dari Literature section covers classical and modern poetry, short stories, proverbs and children's rhymes. A Pashto Literature section includes traditional poetry, modern poetry, short stories, folktales, proverbs and tappas. The Themes of Culture section analyzes the dynamics of shame and honor in the Persio-Afghan setting, the traditional need for patronage and its modern relevance, the mystical longing for God as reflected in the ghazals of Hafiz, and romantic love in traditional and modern love stories. The Traditional Art section covers calligraphy, woodworking, and ceramics, the unique layout of the traditional city, and archeological heritage. The Performing Arts and Fine Art section explores the development of music, fine art, and film in Afghanistan. A final section called Potpourri features Afghan authors who help span the chasm between east and west, a selection of modern cultural initiatives, the infamous folk character Mullah Nasruddin, the role of women in art and literature, and cartoons and comedy.