Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 232 pages
- Published by: Columbia University Press July 2, 2008
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0231142250
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0231142250
-
Book Dimensions:
8.8 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
- Weighs: 9.6 ounces
Product Review
"This book continues the great Pakistani journalistic tradition of writing contemporary history." -- Manvendra Singh, India Today "[Hussain] offers a detailed and persuasive account of the received wisdom on Pakistan since 9/11." -- Carl Brown, Foreign Affairs "A wonderful read that deserves to be read. Written in a dramatic narrative style, the book combines the virtues of being a compulsive page-turner with being informative." -- Vivek Balaraman, Desicritics.org "Hussain lucidly articulates the challenges and limitations faced by Musharraf Highly Recommended." -- Choice "[A] nuanced view of the political forces at work It's a cautionary tale with lessons for other Asian countries." -- Mary Kissel and Hugo Restall,
Wall Street Journal Asia
Product Review
"This book continues the great Pakistani journalistic tradition of writing contemporary history." -- Manvendra Singh,
India Today"[Hussain] offers a detailed and persuasive account of the received wisdom on Pakistan since 9/11." -- Carl Brown,
Foreign Affairs"A wonderful read that deserves to be read. Written in a dramatic narrative style, the book combines the virtues of being a compulsive page-turner with being informative." -- Vivek Balaraman,
Desicritics.org"Hussain lucidly articulates the challenges and limitations faced by Musharraf Highly Recommended." --
Choice"[A] nuanced view of the political forces at work It's a cautionary tale with lessons for other Asian countries." -- Mary Kissel and Hugo Restall,
Wall Street Journal Asia
Reader Reviews
This review is from: Frontline Pakistan: The Struggle with Militant Islam (Hardcover)
This is an excellent book; well researched, well written, and a compelling read! Author Zahid Hussain, Pakistani correspondent for the "Times of London", "The Wall Street Journal", and "Newsweek" exposes Pakistan's close ties with the Taleban and al Qaeda. Pakistan's Directorate of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) is literally the founder of the modern-day Taleban. Having lost control of both al Qaeda and the Taleban, Pakistan, which is under the control of President Pervez Musharraf (who has pledged his full support to the United States in the War on Terror) is running out of time. "Despite the backing of the army and America, Musharraf is living on borrowed time,' writes Hussain. "He has spawned a system that is a hybrid of military and civilian rule. It is not a democracy." And here lies the problem: "The war against militancy Islamic extremism can be best fought - and won - in a liberal democracy. Musharraf's authoritarian rule has blocked any hopes of a democratic process taking root." Yet the restoration of democracy in Pakistan is not an American priority, because a leader in uniform is perceived as being capable of delivering far more than one who is democractically elected. "An army general ruling Pakistan does not trouble the West, so long as he happens to be an effective ally in the war against terror," observes the author. Musharraf and Pakistan have been an effective ally, killing and capturing hundreds of key Taleban and al Qaeda leaders and fighters. But Musharraf's support for the US-led war on terror, his tactical cooperation with various militant groups, and his refusal to embed a culture of democracy and accountability have intensified social, ethnic and religious differences in Pakistani society. "These are the faultlines from which a geo-political earthquake could at some point erupt," warns Hussain, "an earthquake which would make the current reegional security situation look positively calm by comparison. Pakistan's battle with itself is far from over." Let us hope someone with the intelligence, ability and authority to make the right things happen is listening to Hussain's warning.
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