Illinois Authors

CreateSpace, North Charleston, S.C. : ©2012.

As they planned the response to the September 11th attacks, the generals and admirals in charge of America’s military forces kept in mind the fact that no foreign invader had conquered Afghanistan and successfully imposed long-term changes to its culture and form of government since Genghis Kahn in 1220. With this information they knew that a military invasion and occupation of Afghanistan would be doomed to failure. But these military leaders were not concerned about the futility of this option. They did not see a response to the attacks on American soil as an opportunity for nation building in Afghanistan. Their response to these attacks would be swift and unmitigated retribution unleashed on a country that allowed Osama bin Laden to use its lands as a training ground and base for his attacks on America, and which continued to protect bin Laden after the attacks. How America’s military leaders came to be in a position to shape the response to the attacks is at the heart of this captivating story of military and political intrigue. From a disputed presidential election and the terrorist attacks of 9/11, to a military coup that results in the confinement of the president and nearly every member of Congress, and an unrelenting attack on Afghanistan, The Right War follows General Jack Lewis, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the other military leaders as they take control of the American government and conduct a war without concern for political ramifications or diplomatic niceties. These military leaders realize that by launching an aerial attack on Afghanistan, the war could end victoriously for America in a matter of weeks while sending an unmistakable message to the rest of the world. They believe that the alternative, invading a tribal Muslim country to impose a Western style democracy, will lead to years of sacrificing young soldiers’ lives, and that those sacrifices will ultimately prove to be in vain. From the conduct of this war to unforeseen problems in returning America to democratic rule, readers are taken on a thrill ride through what might have been.