Pakistan: In the Shadow of Jihad and Afghanistan

I was realy offended when I read about the way Anthony Zinni gave Gen. Karamat a 10 minutes notice of the in-coming missiles fired by US warships.

The story of Musharaff pushing Pakistan into Kargil war and subsequent defeat of Pakistan is something every Pakistani will be ashamed of. It is also frustrating to know that Mary anne found no positive points such as Pakistan's REMARKABLE ROLE as US ally in War on Terror. Without Pakistani help it would have been very difficult to fight it out.


Wonderful Introduction based on experience   December 29, 2003
David (Pleasant Hill, CA United States)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful

Much has been written about Pakistan since September 11th. But as Ms. Weaver points out in her wonderful book about the only Islamic Republic in the world, much harm could have been avoided if only we were more aware of this country and its problems BEFORE the terrorist attacks. Weaver's experiences as a journalist in this country form the basis and the strength of this book. Having covered this country for two decades, she provides a depth of experience in tracing the recent social and political ills of this nation. Her basic thesis is simple and seems chillingly accurate given current events. She convincingly states the case that U.S. foreign policy set up the country for much of its woes by at first supporting Islamic violent jihad in Afghanistan in the 80's, then abandoning the country completely after the Soviets withdrew and the Cold War ended. While it would be unfair not to assign some responsibility for their current predicament on the Pakistanis themselves, especially their failure to achieve economic growth and political stability, Ms. Weaver's writings on how the situation in Afghanistan destabilized Pakistan to the point where it is now practically as ungovernable as its neighbor is well taken.

Of course, other nations in the region can share the blame for this as well. The chapters on rich Gulf Arab states and the conflict with India in Kashmir are particularly revealing to see how this country has been neglected by other muslim nations and neglected by the United Nations which has been horribly inept in dealing with Kashmir problem. (One can make a convincing argument that Kashmir is the U.N's greatest failure, but that's for another book). Also, the chapter on the Saudi Bird Hunting parties should be read by anyone with an interest in the Middle East.

I heartily recommend this book for anyone traveling to Pakistan, and wishes to learn a bit about this country prior to their visit. It's very well written and succinct. Overall an excellent read.


A decent book on Pakistan   December 13, 2002
Taimur M. Khan (Philadelphia,PA)
6 out of 17 found this review helpful

It is interesting to see the reviews of this book on this site, especially by the Indian from Santa Clara entitled 'Hell on Earth'. People like him must try to understand that to market her book, Mary Anne Weaver has to create as much hype as possible and relate everything in Pakistan to Islamic extremism and militant activities because that is what sells in a post 9/11 world. People are concerned about militant activities by radical muslims, and they want to learn as much as they can about the fundamentalism phenomenon. Take a look at the editorial review on www.Amazon.com and you will understand my point.
This book does deal in detail about Pakistan's militant activities, but it also deals with other issues like democracy, Kashmir, and other domestic issues.
Lastly, the Indian from Santa Clara must understand that anyone can portray any country in a number of different ways.Just like Pakistan can be portrayed as Hell on Earth, India or any other country can be portrayed as Hell. For example, I can portray India as a country that aspires to become a regional bully.India's meddling in Pakistan's affairs,ranging from East Pakistan's secession to anti-Pakistan activities in Sind and Baluchistan, add to that numerous terrorist acts within Pakistan by agents of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's bullying of Bangladesh on the demarcation of the Indo-Bangla border, India's meddling in the civil war of Sri Lanka, for which Rajiv Gandhi paid the price with his life, are all examples of this. India's human rights record is nothing to be proud of. The recent Gujarat riots speak for themselves. It is a well established fact that it was the Hindu Kar Sevaks who started the fight on Godhra, and what followed was a massacre of Indian Muslim citizens by crazed Hindu fanatics led by the Chief Minister Modi. We all know about the much publicized attack in January of 1999 in which an Australian missionary and his children were burnt alive by Hindu radicals. The list can go on and on. But that is not the point. I did not intend this to be an anti-India ranting. My point is that the people of India and Pakistan should learn from each other's experiences and mistakes.Poverty is widespread in both India and Pakistan, and together with Bangladesh, we are home to the poorest of humanity. The poor in both India and Pakistan will favor peace if it guarantees them food and housing.The millions that India and Pakistan waste in the snow-clad peaks of Siachen can be used to do much good in both countries. Finally, the people of both countries must understand that their destinies are inter-twined, and with nuclear weapons now in the equation, there is no way both countries can win a military conflict, a war in the sub-continent will mean a nuclear holocaust. Unfortunately, the hawks in both countries( and there are many of them) hate each other very much, and the voices of reason are stifled by their rants.
Both India and Pakistan can learn from each other.Instead of criticizing each other at all times, we must help each other with our problems and work for the common people in both countries. I favor peace between both countries and realize that painful compromises have to be made by both countries. But for the sake of the poor of our countries, we must make these compromises and have the courage to admit our mistakes. The borders of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are stained with blood.These people who all died for our countries died for something they believed in.They gave their today for our tomorrow. So that we can build a better future for ourselves. They died in the belief that one day, no more Indians and Pakistanis would have to fight each other, they died in the belief that one day, we will realize the futility of war and conflict.We have yet to realize this futility.Indians and Pakistanis have to forgive each other for their mistakes, even though they may not forget them. It is time that we, the people of India and Pakistan stop living in our tragic past and move on to build a better future.


Nowhere Else But In This Book   January 9, 2003
Peg (Chicago, Illinois United States)
6 out of 8 found this review helpful

I read everything I can find on India and Pakistan-- novels and non-fiction. This particular non-fiction work collects information about several areas of Pakistan that are hard to find elsewhere. As a writer for the New Yorker, Ms. Weaver has entree into circles closed to most of us. She is able to conduct personal interviews with fascinating people ranging from General Musharraf to Benazir Ali Bhutto to the nawabs, sardars and other colorful and important figures from Balochistan, the Northwest Fronteir and elsewhere. What they tell her is incredible. Each chapter contains jaw-dropping revelations. The chapter on the elite of various Arab countries hunting an endangered bird in Pakistan (where Pakistanis themselves are prevented by law from hunting the same bird) deserves a prize. In fact, I wondered several times whether Ms. Weaver will lose some of her sources as a result of writing this book. The chapter about Prime Minister Sharif trying to prevent Musharaff's plane from landing (thereby giving legitimacy to military intervention and the coup) puts one over the edge with suspense. The chapter on Bhutto leaves one with a sadness over the profound loss of opportunity and questioning whether she ever had a chance. Nowhere have I seen any writing approximating the depth of her analysis of Balochistan and its players. Ms. Weaver puts the pieces together so that one can readily see the different forces at work, pulling the country apart. Read it yourself and see if it doesn't completely captivate you. I hope our State Department and Department of Defense people read this book until they know it cold if they don't already.