Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military

by Husain Haqqani

Overview

Among U.S. allies in the war against terrorism, Pakistan cannot be easily characterized as either friend or foe. Nuclear-armed Pakistan is an important center of radical Islamic ideas and groups. Since 9/11, the selective cooperation of president General Pervez Musharraf in sharing intelligence with the United States and apprehending al Qaeda members has led to the assumption that Pakistan might be ready to give up its longstanding ties with radical Islam. But Pakistan's status as an Islamic ideological state is closely linked with the Pakistani elite's worldview and the praetorian ambitions of its military. This book analyzes the origins of the relationships between Islamist groups and Pakistan's military, and explores the nation's quest for identity and security. Tracing how the military has sought U.S. support by making itself useful for concerns of the moment—while continuing to strengthen the mosque-military alliance within Pakistan—Haqqani offers an alternative view of political developments since the country's independence in 1947.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780870032851
Publisher:	Brookings Institution Press
Publication date:	03/10/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	397
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Husain Haqqani is a visiting scholar in the South Asia Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and an associate professor of International Relations at Boston University. He is former adviser to Pakistani prime ministers, and has served as Pakistan's ambassador to Sri Lanka.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	vii
	Acknowledgments	ix
	Map of the Region	xii
1	Introduction: Identity and Ideology	1
2	Defending Ideological Frontiers	51
3	Old and New Pakistan	87
4	From Islamic Republic to Islamic State	131
5	Afghan Jihad	159
6	Military Rule by Other Means	199
7	Jihad without Borders	261
8	Conclusion: From Ideological to Functional State	311
	Notes	331
	Index	373
	About the Author	397
	The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace	399

Editorial Reviews

"[F]our years after 9/11, Pakistan remains a major breeding ground of Islamist fanaticism and terror. For gaining a grasp of the situation and its implications for the United States, there may be no better place to begin than Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military. . . . Haqqani brings impressive credentials to the task of analyzing his native land. . . . this is an outstanding book on a subject that could not be more timely."
—Commentary, December 2005

Alex Alexiev

"[Haqqani's] analysis will reward anyone who seeks to understand one of the most perplexing foreign policy challenges facing the U.S. today."

Wall Street Journal

Given the signal importance of Pakistan to U.S. foreign policy these days, the lack of informed commentary on the country is striking. This book fills a bit of that gap. Haqqani, a journalist and former diplomat, effectively and cogently argues that three key political choices — the promotion of religious nationalism, the continual pursuit of a confrontation with India, and an attempt to secure Western (particularly U.S.) support — have informed both the domestic and foreign policies of the independent Pakistani state. This analytic framework will not surprise most scholars of Pakistani politics. Haqqani's contribution lies in his careful documentation and use of evidence. One of the political choices on which he focuses — religious nationalism — may well determine the future of the Pakistani polity, and Haqqani illustrates its deep roots, which preceded the formation of the Pakistani state. The principal architect of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, actively courted the conservative Islamic clergy in an attempt to build support for his cause. The military leadership, which has ruled Pakistan for the bulk of its independent life, continued and expanded on this treacherous policy. The specter of religious radicalism born of this policy haunts Pakistani politics to this day.

Foreign Affairs

"[Husain Haqqani] brings impressive credentials to the task of analyzing his native land, including a personal acquaintanceship with many of the key military and political personalities of the past two decades." —Alex Alexiev, Center for Security Policy, Commentary, 12/1/2005

"a notable contribution to scholarship on South Asia" —Kapil Gupta, Foreign Service Journal

"In this cogent, well-informed and extraordinarily informative book, Husain Haqqani describes in detail the unholy alliance between Islamists and military officers that has shaped Pakistan's past and may well determine its future. An important and disturbing tale, deftly told." —Andrew J. Bacevich, author of THE NEW AMERICAN MILITARISM

"A well-written and authoritative account from someone who knows Pakistani politics from the inside." —Peter Bergen, CNN Terrorism Analyst and author of HOLY WAR, INC.

"We are in Husain Haqqani's debt for providing the authoritative account of the linkages between Pakistan's powerful Islamists and its professional army.... This brilliantly researched and written book should be required reading for anyone who wishes to understand this increasingly important state." —Stephen P. Cohen, Brookings Institution, and author of THE IDEA OF PAKISTAN

"Husain Haqqani has seen Pakistani politics close up. But his book is much more than a memoir: Haqqaani has produced a provocative and controversial history revealing the depth of the links between the army and the Islamic radicals. Required reading." —Owen Bennett-Jones, BBC, and author of PAKISTAN: THE EYE OF THE STORM

"Husain Haqqani has written the most comprehensive account of the role of religion and the army in Pakistan's tangled history. It makes for fascinating and sobering reading. The challenge of maintaining a 'moderate Islamic' identicy at a time of national insecurity and religious passion remains one of the central problems confrontinc any Pakistan government." —Teresita Schaffer, CSIS, and former U.S. Ambassador and Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia

From the Publisher