What are some good resources surrounding how America has historically destabilized Latin America and the Middle East?

by 2Humpas

More specifically, I'm thinking during the period of the Cold War (at least that's when I think most of it took place). For example, supplying drugs to cartels or weapons to the taliban.

Byzantine555

American involvement in Latin America goes back much further than the Cold War, but was particularly prominent during that time. For a relatively brief overview, there's "A Short History of U.S. Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean" by Alan McPherson, while a more in-depth analysis can be found in "Beneath the United States: A History of U.S. Policy Toward Latin America" by Lars Schoulz, both of which cover the entire history rather than just the Cold War. For something more Cold War-centric there's "The Killing Zone: The United States Wages Cold War in Latin America" by Stephen G. Rabe, and "The Condor Years: How Pinochet And His Allies Brought Terrorism To Three Continents" by John Dinges.

"Imagining the Middle East: The Building of an American Foreign Policy, 1918-1967" by Matthew F. Jacobs goes from the end of the First World War to the middle of the Cold War, and is useful for 'setting the scene' for more Cold War focused books. "America's Great Game: The CIA's Secret Arabists and the Shaping of the Modern Middle East" by Hugh Wilford provides good insight into American influence in the Middle East in the 1940s and '50s, while "Castles Made of Sand: A Century of Anglo-American Espionage and Intervention in the Middle East" by Andre Gerolymatos is about the 'passing of the torch' from the UK to the US as the preeminent geopolitical influencer in the Middle East. While not written as such, "US Foreign Policy in the Middle East: The Roots of Anti-Americanism" by Kylie Baxter and Shahram Akbarzedeh, and "American Encounters with Arabs: The Soft Power of U.S. Public Diplomacy in the Middle East" by William A. Rugh make a good unofficial duology by asking the questions "why is America unpopular in the Middle East" and "how America tries to be popular in the Middle East" respectively.

In terms of what you're directly referring to in your post, you may be interested in "The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade" by Alfred W. McCoy, which covers Southeast Asia, or "Cocaine Politics: Drugs, Armies, and the CIA in Central America" by Peter Dale Scott. There's also the original journalistic work "Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Cocaine Explosion" by Gary Webb, the grim originator of the 'opponent of the government commits suicide by shooting himself twice in the head' meme. More recent editions of Webb's book provide some worthwhile historical context and updates. You could also read the original government report on CIA involvement in the drug trade here: https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB113/north06.pdf

In terms of Afghanistan there's, "What We Won: America's Secret War in Afghanistan, 1979–1989" by Bruce Riedel, a former CIA agent, or the more critical "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001" by Steve Coll. For how the CIA managed to garner support for involvement in Afghanistan, there's "Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History" by George Crille III.

Last but not least, if one is interested in American Cold War involvement in Latin America and the Middle East, the Iran-Contra Scandal is the main event. "Iran-Contra: Reagan’s Scandal and the Unchecked Abuse of Presidential Power" by Malcolm Byrne is probably the best on balance between historical information and readability.

thebigbosshimself