Magnificent Delusions : Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding

The relationship between America and Pakistan is based on mutual incomprehension and always has been. Pakistan—to American eyes—has gone from being a quirky irrelevance, to a stabilizing friend, to an essential military ally, to a seedbed of terror. America—to Pakistani eyes—has been a guarantee of security, a coldly distant scold, an enthusiastic military enabler, and is now a threat to national security and a source of humiliation. The countries are not merely at odds. Each believes it can play the other—with sometimes absurd, sometimes tragic, results. The conventional narrative about the war in Afghanistan, for instance, has revolved around the Soviet invasion in 1979. But President Jimmy Carter signed the first authorization to help the Pakistani-backed mujahedeen covertly on July 3—almost six months before the Soviets invaded. Americans were told, and like to believe, that what followed was Charlie Wilson’s war of Afghani liberation, with which they remain embroiled to this day. It was not. It was General Zia-ul-Haq’s vicious regional power play. Husain Haqqani has a unique insight into Pakistan, his homeland, and America, where he was ambassador and is now a professor at Boston University. His life has mapped the relationship of the two countries and he has found himself often close to the heart of it, sometimes in very confrontational circumstances, and this has allowed him to write the story of a misbegotten diplomatic love affair, here memorably laid bare. The relationship between America and Pakistan is based on mutual incomprehension and always has been. Pakistan -- to American eyes -- has gone from being a quirky irrelevance, to a stabilizing friend, to an essential military ally, to a seedbed of terror. America -- to Pakistani eyes -- has been a guarantee of security, a coldly distant scold, an enthusiastic military enabler, and is now a threat to national security and a source of humiliation. The countries are not merely at odds. Each believes it can play the other -- with sometimes absurd, sometimes tragic, results. The conventional narrative about the war in Afghanistan, for instance, has revolved around the Soviet invasion in 1979. But President Jimmy Carter signed the first authorization to help the Pakistani-backed mujahedeen covertly on July 3 -- almost six months before the Soviets invaded. Americans were told, and like to believe, that what followed was Charlie Wilson's war of Afghani liberation, with which they remain embroiled to this day. It was not. It was General Zia-ul-Haq's vicious regional power play. Husain Haqqani has a unique insight into Pakistan, his homeland, and America, where he was ambassador and is now a professor at Boston University. His life has mapped the relationship of the two countries and he has found himself often close to the heart of it, sometimes in very confrontational circumstances, and this has allowed him to write the story of a misbegotten diplomatic love affair, here memorably laid bare. This is a character-led history of the bizarrely ill-suited alliance between America and Pakistan, written by a uniquely insightful participant: Pakistan's former Ambassador to the U.S. The relationship between America and Pakistan is based on mutual incomprehension, and has always been. The US-Pakistan alliance was born in an environment of ignorance on the part of leaders of both countries about the other. The 65+ year history is a gripping tale of two highly distinctive countries, each redefining itself in the world: one as a global power, the other as a newly emergent independent nation at a crucial crossroads. The alliance that was forged between them was, as the book's title suggests, based on magnificent delusions on both sides, here memorably laid bare The Relationship Between America And Pakistan Is Based On Mutual Incomprehension And Always Has Been. Pakistan--to American Eyes--has Gone From Being A Quirky Irrelevance, To A Stabilizing Friend, To An Essential Military Ally, To A Seedbed Of Terror. America--to Pakistani Eyes--has Been A Guarantee Of Security, A Coldly Distant Scold, An Enthusiastic Military Enabler, And Is Now A Threat To National Security And A Source Of Humiliation.--dust Jacket. False Start -- Aid, Arms, And Bases -- A Split And A Tilt -- Picking Up The Pieces -- A Most Superb And Patriotic Liar -- Denial And Double Game -- Parallel Universes. Husain Haqqani. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Explores the relationship between America and Pakistan, which is based on mutual incomprehension and always has been. Pakistan--to American eyes--has gone from being a quirky irrelevance, to a stabilizing friend, to an essential military ally, to a seedbed of terror. America--to Pakistani eyes--has been a guarantee of security, a coldly distant scold, an enthusiastic military enabler, and is now a threat to national security and a source of humiliation