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Pakistan: Deep Inside the World's Most Frightening State
No nation is more critical to U.S. foreign policy than nuclear-armed Pakistan. Wedged between India and Afghanistan, it is the second largest country in the Islamic world. But with militant Islamists now expanding their control over some of the country's most strategically sensitive areas, there is a growing fear that Washington's most stolid ally in South Asia―at least ostensibly―is unraveling, and perhaps is even on the verge of collapse. With a dozen or so private Islamist armies, a hundred or so nuclear weapons, and a dysfunctional government, Pakistan is considered one of the most dangerous places on earth. Its disintegration would pose an unthinkable threat to the United States and the West, including the prospect of its nuclear arsenal being captured by religious extremists. In Pakistan , Mary Anne Weaver presents her personal journey through a country in turmoil, reconstructing, largely in the voices of the key participants themselves―General Pervez Musharraf, General Muhammed Zia, and the assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto―the legacies now haunting Pakistan in the aftermath of the U.S.-sponsored jihad in the 1980s in Afghanistan. Combining deep geopolitical intelligence with a vivid portrait of a land―of its people, its mystery, and its clans― Pakistan provides an essential background for anyone who wants to understand the single most urgent problem facing the international community.
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 16, 2021
I gained a basic understanding of Pakistan of the 2000s. The author showed the dynamic relationships with the names of Musharraf, Bhutto, and Zia as well as the escalation of a terrorist-state. This is a good starting point in learning about Pakistan.
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September 30, 2011Pakistan seems to be a country America would care a lot about. Yet the place where US money, training and weapons merged with Arab extremists to give birth to al-Qaeda, the Taliban and international terrorists is not only misunderstood, it is completely ignored. "Pakistan" tells the story of a country that is, like Libya and other post-colonial states, more a combination of tribes and religious sects than a nation. Through interviews with everyone from Musharraf to Benazir Bhutto to the average Pakistani on the street, Weaver describes a country teetering between barely-legitimate democracy and complete chaos. But Pakistan's problems are not entirely home-grown (US, Indian and Saudi involvement can at least be partially credited with radicalizing portions of the population). And if the damage spirals out of control, it will not be contained within the country either. Just as it produced al-Qaeda and the Taliban in the 80s and early 90s, Pakistan's instability could cultivate the next generation of terrorists, ones who know first-hand that the US is an imperialist force that can be forced to retreat.
September 29, 2014
A good, concise book about the politics and society of one of the nations in the frontlines of Islamic extremism.
May 8, 2011
Unfortunately, most of the books I have read about Pakistan have regurgitated the same old facts and opinions. Weaver's book, based on years of experience as a journalist and personal vignettes overseas during years in Pakistan is personable and well written, giving a fresh read to old material. Perhaps no surprising conclusions, but well written. After reading this, even less surprised OBL was where he was.
May 11, 2014
The author shifted the time frame quite frequently, which sometimes made it difficult to follow the narrative. That may have been due to the complexity of the situation and the fact that there seemed to be so many moving parts.
May 21, 2009
This is the third consecutive book on Afghanistan/Pakistan/CIA/bin Laden I've read after a recommendation from my friend Naeem Inayatullah, who taught me international relations at Ithaca College. He is three-for-three.
Journalist Mary Anne Weaver takes you inside Pakistan's ferocious, turbulent politics with access to the most influential people in the country. She interviews everyone: Benazir Bhutto, Pervez Musharraf, and Islamist leaders who were once armed and funded by the CIA to kill communists in Afghanistan, among others.
The book is mostly a compilation of interviews and episodes tied together with historical context. Weaver analyzes the politics of jihad, the affect such policies embraced by Pakistan's ever changing military and civilian governments had on tribal areas like Balochistan and Kashmir, and most importantly how Pakistan's embrace of radical Islamists like bin Laden and groups like the Taliban, and dozens of others, have haunted Islamabad. (You can also see this by picking up today's newspaper as Pakistan wages war on the Taliban; reaping the whirlwind, indeed.)
Pakistan's politics are like no other nation's. Imagine standing in front of a mirror and punching yourself in the face. Slowly a bruise forms. Instead of reaching for the medicine cabinet you punch yourself again and slowly another bruise forms, until the bruises are out of control. This entirely irrational scenario of self-inflicted wounds is meant to demonstrate the irrationality of Pakistan's policies and the irrationality of relgious faith. He who thinks his god directs him to arm his countrymen to kill his enemies is hopelessly irrational.
Pakistan, as much as any country on earth, created the problem of radical Islam which it and the United States are now fighting in the "war on terror." Pakistan is rife with "states within a state." It's intelligence agency, the ISI, and the army are so influential no ruler may govern the country without their support. The ISI basically decides foreign policy for the nation, secretly arming and funding groups like the Taliban and Kashmiri militants.
Weaver is an excellent interviewer; her talks with Benazir Bhutto were revealing. Benazir is the most compelling character here (this book was published before her assassination). Her death seemed to be the logical conclusion to her tumultuous life. My heart broke for Benazir as I read about her many imprisonments and hardships. At the same time she left me utterly frustrated. She seemed to be Pakistan's best hope to create a stable, democratic society. Yet her two prime ministerships were colossal failures.
Benazir simply could not govern, through her own shortcomings but also because no individual could overcome Pakistan's anti-democratic establishment: the army, the ISI, and the mullahs, even in the very country that elected the first female prime minister in the Muslim world! Pakistan... a nation of contradictions.
Chapter Four will leave you laughing out loud and shaking your head in disbelief. Weaver details the hunts of the houbara bustard, a small bird that migrates through central Asia to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan hosted these hunts, welcoming fabulously wealthy Arab sheikhs from across the Middle East. The sheikhs hunt the bustard with trained falcons, following their birds of prey in land cruisers while they swoop down on the bustards.
The sheikhs spend millions!! of dollars on these hunts, setting up enormous hunting villages in the middle of barren deserts where their entourages live in luxury with amenities hauled in by C-130 transport planes. Unfortunately for the hunters, Pakistan had to give up one of the airfields that had been exclusively used for the hunts after 9/11 so the U.S military could bomb the Taliban from Pakistani soil. And why did the sheikhs kill hundreds of bustards year after year in the middle of the desert as war raged just over the border in Afghanistan?? To enhance their sexual prowess! They are convinced the bustard meat acts as an aphrodisiac and is loaded with vitamins.
The most satisfying passages of Weaver's book come at the end, during her overview. She isn't afraid to make judgments.
Page 272: "I am convinced that had there been no jihad, Osama bin Laden would almost certainly be back in Jidda (Saudi Arabia) parlaying a fortune of $80 million, which he inherited at thirteen, into an even greater sum than the $250 million he has today."
Page 281: "... speculation grew about what the war in Iraq would mean for Osama bin Laden and militant Islamist groups around the world. I can only speak of my direct experience during those months (2003) in Egypt and Pakistan. But considering the number of young men who were swelling the ranks of Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami and the JUI (radical Islamist parties) and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Osama bin Laden could not have dreamed of anything better than this."
We are reaping the whirlwind. God Bless America.
Journalist Mary Anne Weaver takes you inside Pakistan's ferocious, turbulent politics with access to the most influential people in the country. She interviews everyone: Benazir Bhutto, Pervez Musharraf, and Islamist leaders who were once armed and funded by the CIA to kill communists in Afghanistan, among others.
The book is mostly a compilation of interviews and episodes tied together with historical context. Weaver analyzes the politics of jihad, the affect such policies embraced by Pakistan's ever changing military and civilian governments had on tribal areas like Balochistan and Kashmir, and most importantly how Pakistan's embrace of radical Islamists like bin Laden and groups like the Taliban, and dozens of others, have haunted Islamabad. (You can also see this by picking up today's newspaper as Pakistan wages war on the Taliban; reaping the whirlwind, indeed.)
Pakistan's politics are like no other nation's. Imagine standing in front of a mirror and punching yourself in the face. Slowly a bruise forms. Instead of reaching for the medicine cabinet you punch yourself again and slowly another bruise forms, until the bruises are out of control. This entirely irrational scenario of self-inflicted wounds is meant to demonstrate the irrationality of Pakistan's policies and the irrationality of relgious faith. He who thinks his god directs him to arm his countrymen to kill his enemies is hopelessly irrational.
Pakistan, as much as any country on earth, created the problem of radical Islam which it and the United States are now fighting in the "war on terror." Pakistan is rife with "states within a state." It's intelligence agency, the ISI, and the army are so influential no ruler may govern the country without their support. The ISI basically decides foreign policy for the nation, secretly arming and funding groups like the Taliban and Kashmiri militants.
Weaver is an excellent interviewer; her talks with Benazir Bhutto were revealing. Benazir is the most compelling character here (this book was published before her assassination). Her death seemed to be the logical conclusion to her tumultuous life. My heart broke for Benazir as I read about her many imprisonments and hardships. At the same time she left me utterly frustrated. She seemed to be Pakistan's best hope to create a stable, democratic society. Yet her two prime ministerships were colossal failures.
Benazir simply could not govern, through her own shortcomings but also because no individual could overcome Pakistan's anti-democratic establishment: the army, the ISI, and the mullahs, even in the very country that elected the first female prime minister in the Muslim world! Pakistan... a nation of contradictions.
Chapter Four will leave you laughing out loud and shaking your head in disbelief. Weaver details the hunts of the houbara bustard, a small bird that migrates through central Asia to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan hosted these hunts, welcoming fabulously wealthy Arab sheikhs from across the Middle East. The sheikhs hunt the bustard with trained falcons, following their birds of prey in land cruisers while they swoop down on the bustards.
The sheikhs spend millions!! of dollars on these hunts, setting up enormous hunting villages in the middle of barren deserts where their entourages live in luxury with amenities hauled in by C-130 transport planes. Unfortunately for the hunters, Pakistan had to give up one of the airfields that had been exclusively used for the hunts after 9/11 so the U.S military could bomb the Taliban from Pakistani soil. And why did the sheikhs kill hundreds of bustards year after year in the middle of the desert as war raged just over the border in Afghanistan?? To enhance their sexual prowess! They are convinced the bustard meat acts as an aphrodisiac and is loaded with vitamins.
The most satisfying passages of Weaver's book come at the end, during her overview. She isn't afraid to make judgments.
Page 272: "I am convinced that had there been no jihad, Osama bin Laden would almost certainly be back in Jidda (Saudi Arabia) parlaying a fortune of $80 million, which he inherited at thirteen, into an even greater sum than the $250 million he has today."
Page 281: "... speculation grew about what the war in Iraq would mean for Osama bin Laden and militant Islamist groups around the world. I can only speak of my direct experience during those months (2003) in Egypt and Pakistan. But considering the number of young men who were swelling the ranks of Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami and the JUI (radical Islamist parties) and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Osama bin Laden could not have dreamed of anything better than this."
We are reaping the whirlwind. God Bless America.
October 22, 2013
After learning about Afghanistan this book helped give me some context and history of the area that I had not taken into consideration. I ended up worrying more about the situation in Central Asia when I was given all the factors that she shares with us. In particular, Pakistan is not united since it has so many influences, Afghanistan, Iran, India, Balochistan, the military and the Taliban to name a few. I cannot even imagine methods of government for this country.
I was rather annoyed with all these influences that the author tended to focus on rather than the actual society of Pakistan. Perhaps this was because there was more of a story telling about the surrounding countries and their international political struggles. I did appreciate how she showed the naiveté of the US of using its influence to jockey position in the region only to disrupt their government and force their leaders to pursue policies that directly hurt their infrastructure and governance.
The chapter on Balochistan was particularly interesting since it showed the Arabian influence on the area in their reckless falcon hunting that boosted their economy, yet it crippled their natural resources and endangered species. The excessiveness of the whole situation was shameful, and should be better publicized to raise awareness of the impact of their hunting in the area, and the corruption involved.
Her chapters on the Taliban and their work in Afghanistan and Pakistan was thorough and left me with a rather bleak outlook for the future of Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. The lack of legitimate leadership prevents the unification of all parties involved, the realization of freedoms and the homogeneity of people. Pakistan is left with a huge burden it may not be able to carry, it may end up as a hot bed of anarchy for quite some time.
I was rather annoyed with all these influences that the author tended to focus on rather than the actual society of Pakistan. Perhaps this was because there was more of a story telling about the surrounding countries and their international political struggles. I did appreciate how she showed the naiveté of the US of using its influence to jockey position in the region only to disrupt their government and force their leaders to pursue policies that directly hurt their infrastructure and governance.
The chapter on Balochistan was particularly interesting since it showed the Arabian influence on the area in their reckless falcon hunting that boosted their economy, yet it crippled their natural resources and endangered species. The excessiveness of the whole situation was shameful, and should be better publicized to raise awareness of the impact of their hunting in the area, and the corruption involved.
Her chapters on the Taliban and their work in Afghanistan and Pakistan was thorough and left me with a rather bleak outlook for the future of Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. The lack of legitimate leadership prevents the unification of all parties involved, the realization of freedoms and the homogeneity of people. Pakistan is left with a huge burden it may not be able to carry, it may end up as a hot bed of anarchy for quite some time.
August 2, 2007
Mary Anne Weaver followed her husband to Cairo. For something to do, she enrolled at the American University of Cairo, where she ended up becoming friends with all kinds of women who later became wives to the elite of Egypt. This allowed her access to all kinds of situations.
She was able to interview all kinds of people whom we now call "Jihadists" -- long before 9/11.
Her two books reveal a kind of objective semi-empathy for her subject matter. She tries to write as if seeing the world from their point of view. Her writing is good enough to get her into the New Yorker. But she is one of the few New Yorker writers who does not condescend.
I trust her to write about both Pakistan and Egypt.
She was able to interview all kinds of people whom we now call "Jihadists" -- long before 9/11.
Her two books reveal a kind of objective semi-empathy for her subject matter. She tries to write as if seeing the world from their point of view. Her writing is good enough to get her into the New Yorker. But she is one of the few New Yorker writers who does not condescend.
I trust her to write about both Pakistan and Egypt.
January 4, 2025
Picked up at a thrift store, didn’t realize at the time it was based on Pakistan shortly after 9/11. It provides context of Pakistan prior to, but obviously cannot expand beyond 2002. It served as a quasi-period piece in that respect, to understand what was the sentiment towards Pakistan at the time. As a third-generation Pakistani-Indian, I was interested in the history and geopolitics in the region, and this sated that hunger.
January 18, 2011
Despite an anti-American bias from the outset, and an extensive list of famous but now dead Pakistanis she has met, the author was able to tell some interesting tales. Her descriptions of the Baloch people and of the Saudi Falcon hunters were intriguing. Overall though, the book was limited in scope to only the people she interviewed over many years and does not tell that much about the country.
December 5, 2012
I bought this book because it was on special. Not really something I am interested in. But I was hooked from the first sentence.
A woman that experiences the Muslim culture and gives some insites into forbidden topics to our Western people.
Would have appreciated some photos.
A woman that experiences the Muslim culture and gives some insites into forbidden topics to our Western people.
Would have appreciated some photos.
February 25, 2010
It is your basic journalistic book depicting conversations and experiences leading to a political history that barely scratches the surface. It is good for an overall understanding of the current political situation in Pakistan and the major players.
March 14, 2015
A very detailed book presenting the past and current (2003) status of the country of Pakistan. Wasn't a fan of how the events or chapters were organized since it wasn't chronological and were at times very hard to follow. Apparent US biases were evident as well.
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April 11, 2020The book gave me a basic understanding of Pakistan in a nutshell. However, I wouldn't compare my reading experience with a hands-on visit to the country or an honest chat with a citizen of this country. All what we read may not be the reality.
February 24, 2009
Memoir style perspective of Pakistani culture. Interesting on anecdotes, but light on linear history and the coverage of important historical events. Good entry point into the region.
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May 17, 2009Pakistan: In the Shadow of Jihad and Afghanistan by Mary Anne Weaver (2002)
July 23, 2009
An interesting overview of the many influences on Pakistan's recent history.
March 9, 2013
Can the US ever get its act together.........from Vietnam to where ever its a never ending story of failure
August 14, 2008
Cursory introduction into Pakistan's shaddy minterfering in it's neighbors business.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews