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Pakistan,
the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding
Husain Haqqani
PublicAffairs
November 5, 2013 / ISBN 9781610393171
Nonfiction / History / Government / International & World
Politics / Diplomacy
Reviewed
by Elise Cooper
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Husain
Haqqani is also intimidated. The former Pakistani Ambassador
to Washington from 2008 to 2011 now lives in exile in Boston
because of his espoused views. He also writes in his book
that the Pakistani government and military have focused on
acquiring funds and weapons from the US government to fight
India. The US government has always felt that if America would
only provide more aid, Pakistan would help America against
its enemies, whether the Communists during the Cold War or
the Islamists today.
He stated, "Nothing will improve in Pakistan until its
political and military leaders face reality and until the
political leaders in Washington stop catering to the delusions
of the Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies. The
military and ISI has never permitted a democracy to flourish
in Pakistan. There is irrefutable evidence that ISI has been
deeply involved with the Taliban and other Islamists on both
sides of the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. Pakistan has received
billions from the U. S. to supposedly join in the war on terror."
In the book he makes it very clear that Pakistan should stop
supporting militant armies and terror groups. He urges a reversal
of attitudes toward India, which he sees not as a threatening
enemy but as a potential partner. Domestically, he wants the
government to redefine the meaning of security away from military
prowess and toward the development of a modern society. The
author does this by tracing 67 years of the ill-matched partnership
between the United States and Pakistan, since its formation
in 1947.
He noted, "Both countries pretended to the point of not
facing reality. I have advocated in my book that America should
not have an oversimplified approach and needs to get clarity
from Pakistan. I tried to show how there has been episode
after episode when Pakistan publicly says one thing and privately
says another. America never forced Pakistan to reconcile its
private and public outlooks. Look no further than the Osama
Bin Laden incident and who had knowledge about him living
there. The groups that should be supported by America are
the ones that want to move Pakistan into the 21st Century.
The US should confront the Pakistani leaders publicly to prevent
the Islamists from becoming a strong force."
Both authors have done a great job in documenting and giving
a straight forward and honest review of the mindset and thinking
of the Pakistani military and intelligence services that support
Islamic militants in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. These
books are an important read for anyone who wants to understand
the region and how to influence nations to become religiously
tolerant, economically prosperous, and a supporter of the
rule of law. The Wrong Enemy: American in Afghanistan,
2001 - 2014, and Husain Haqqani in Magnificant Delusions.
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