Pakistan's Drift Into Extremism: Allah, then Army, and America's War Terror (Paperback)

~ (Author), Jessica Stern (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nuclear, unstable, fundamentalist, Islamic—these adjectives are often used in frightening combination when the media turns to the topic of modern-day Pakistan, a critical but volatile ally in the fight to eradicate al Qaeda. With the sensibilities of both an insider and a scholar, Abbas, a Harvard fellow and former officer in President Pervez Musharraf’s anti-corruption police force, adds an important measure of sophistication to the popular understanding of Pakistan’s dangers and dysfunctions. His detailed analysis works through the country’s complicated history, starting in 1947 with the wrenching partition of British colonial India and ending with today’s impoverished, graft-addled government, which seems closer to falling into a maelstrom of religious radicalism every day. An important thread running through this history is the way American foreign policy—at times misguided or self-serving—magnified Pakistan’s homegrown ills. During the early 1980s, for instance, Pakistan’s pro-Western popular opinion appeared rock solid. "Only indifference, myopia and incompetence of flawless pedigree could have reversed this," Abbas writes. "But Pakistan and the United States would combine to produce the missing ingredient"—a policy of statewide "Islamization" orchestrated by Pakistan’s then leader, General Zia Ul-Haq, and amplified by Washington’s parallel support of the anti-Soviet mujahideen movement. Abbas offers valuable descriptions of today’s most active jihadi movements in Pakistan. More importantly, he shows how the Kashmir conflict, South Asia’s most aggravated political wound, has come to express numerous, overlapping national humiliations—often underestimated by Washington and exploited by Islamabad. "If Pakistan is to be saved from its future," Abbas concludes, "It must start by coming to a sincere accommodation with India over Kashmir."
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Review

"An engaging book on terrorism's largest growth market: Pakistan." -- The New York Times

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Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: M.E. Sharpe; 1st edition (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765614979
• ISBN-13: 978-0765614971
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #481,837 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, Informative and readable, September 25, 2004

By	Teri "TZH" (Boston) - See all my reviews

The book provides insightful information and nuanced analysis that is written beautifully. This is certainly an insider's viewpoint - he is probably Bob Woodward of Pakistan. One may disagree with some of the conclusions of the book about the prospects of Talibanization of Pakistan but there is no doubt the work is authoritative and convincing in its approach. It's a must read for students of South Asian history and for those who want to learn about roots of Islamic radicalism in the region. Profiles of Pakistani extremist groups are very detailed and based on info that I believe is not available elsewhere.
The writer is clearly sympathetic towards minority Muslim groups in Pakistan especially Ahmedis and Shias but provides specific and credible instances of crimes committed against these communities. Also explains how Blasphemy laws are biased against Christian minority. He also severely criticizes Pakistan army for its interference in politics and intelligence agencies for how they groomed and sponsored terrorist groups. In comparison he has been somewhat soft on Pakistani police which he remains associated with as per his bio in the book.
The best part of the book is about General Musharraf and how he is handling Pakistan and the war on terror - he has mixed opinion about Musharraf's capability to make a real difference in the long run. He argues that moderate political parties and revival of real democracy is the only way things can be improved.
Final remark - its an academic book I believe but is written like a thriller - its difficult to put it down once you start reading. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to know how Pakistan is progressing (or digressing) and how intriguing is the history of Pakistan-US relations.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative and a must read , September 30, 2004

By	Bina (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

Fabulous read. It artfully explains the challenges America face in the war on terror. Almost half of the book is pure historical narrative about Pakistan and India (though beautifully written) and the rest is analysis about the present day crisis in terms of capabilities of terrorist groups, impact of Musharraf's bold decisions to reform and policy prescriptions about how a constructive change is possible. For those interested in Muslim states and society this is a must read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing and courageous, July 5, 2005

By	Chris "CM" (Medford, MA USA) - See all my reviews

If you have to read just one book on Pakistan, this is it. Extremely well written and powerful - I have been teaching South Asian history for a decade but haven't come across a book on the country that is so clear in its perspective, so bold and most importantly written by someone who is not only a scholar but one who witnessed the scene firsthand. Its certainly a important contribution to the field.
I have just one suggestion and one criticism for the writer - he could have given more detailed profiles of the Islamic parties that Pakistan inherited in 1947. Secondly, the book requires a chronology of important political events of Pakistan for the Western readers. But despite these limitations, the book is head and shoulders above other contemporary works on the subject.