The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power - Couverture souple

Ali, Tariq

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1416561021 ISBN 13 : 9781416561026

Editeur : Scribner, 2009

Synopsis

The Duel An illuminating account of Pakistan's political crisis by a writer whose knowledge of the key players and issues is unsurpassed. Full description

A propos du livre

Quatrième de couverture :

Pakistan is today regarded in the West as a crucial front line state in the 'war against terror'. Since September 2001 it has received over 10 billion dollars and the latest military hardware from the United States.
Regular clashes with Taliban supporters in the badlands bordering Afghanistan, whose increasingly effective assaults on Pakistani soldiers have threatened to split the Army; the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, which revealed a military despotism incapable of curbing street violence and bloodshed, and the firing of dozens of Judges, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, are all only the most recent manifestations of the deep crisis now facing this long-time ally of the West.
As the current president Pervez Musharraf struggles, with ever-diminishing success, to cling to power through states of emergency, press curbs and imprisonment of his opponents, a range of forces are attempting to fill the vacuum that surrounds him: Nawaz Sharif, a former Prime Minister and Asif Zardari, who inherited his wife Benazir's political party, both of whom, Ali argues, are as corrupt as the worst of Musharraf's political cronies, the Chaudhris of Gujarat. Separated from them is a courageous lawyers' movement that has taken to the streets demanding adherence to the constitution and the rule of law.
With customary verve and acuity, Tariq Ali parses the prospects for these contending groups, drawing on extensive first-hand research and a deep personal knowledge of the country's tormented history to assess the causes and consequences of Pakistan's political chaos.

Présentation de l'éditeur :

Now in paperback, from a writer with unrivalled access and knowledge, a riveting portrait of America’s closest ally in the war on terror as it spirals into political chaos.The sixth most populous country in the world, Pakistan is the only Islamic state to have nuclear weapons. Its border with Afghanistan extends over 1,000 miles and is the likely hideout of Osama bin Laden. Yet it is the linchpin in the United States’ war on terror, receiving over $10 billion of American aid since 2001 and purchasing more than $5 billion of U.S. weaponry in 2006 alone.

With unilateral incursions into Pakistan by U.S. troops pursuing Taliban fighters, and surveys indicating that more than seventy percent of Pakistanis fear America as a military threat, relations between the two countries remain tense. The scion of a famous Punjabi political family, with extraordinary contacts inside the country and internationally, Tariq Ali has long been acknowledged as a leading commentator on Pakistan. In The Duel, he combines deep understanding of the country’s history with extensive firsthand research and unsparing political judgment to weigh the prospects of those contending for power today.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Scribner
• Date d'édition: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1416561021
• ISBN 13: 9781416561026
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 336