Realpolitik Books - VII

Magnificent Delusions

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.

Read this book and you will get an impression that a non-Pakistani and an enemy of Pakistan is out to vilify Pakistan. The author says the the Pakistani leaders have been double dealers and liars and they have been like this for decades. US has, sometimes, been willingly duped by Pakistan. The author, Hussain Haqqani, was Pakistan's ambassador to USA from 2008 to 2011 and therefore has first hand knowledge of what he is talking.

USA and Pakistan, 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 mujahideen 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 for a long time. It was not. It was General Zia-ul-Haq’s vicious regional power play.

USA had always handled Pakistan with kid gloves to pursue America's realpolitik ends. Haqqani writes " since 1947 dependence, deception and defiance have characterized US-Pakistan relations. We sought US aid in return for promises we did not keep. Although even strong allies do not have 100 percent congruent interest, in case of Pakistan and the United States, the divergence far exceeded the similarities."

Pakistan to keep up its facade of an independent nation with its own nationalistic view, sometimes had to create an illusion of not co-operating with US, when in fact they were doing the bidding of US.

Pakistan, including the father of the nation, has always believed that America needs Pakistan more than Pakistan needs America. Pakistan positioned itself as a bulwark against Soviet Russia in the Cold War days. This made the Pakistani policy makers to ask for unreasonable assistance from America. In 1947-48, Pakistan asked for a $ 2 billion loan. America responded with a # 10 million loan.

However during the Cold War period, Pakistan played its Soviet card well. It became a favored US ally, providing support to America for spying on the Soviets. Nixon viewed Pakistan very favorably as an ally and Pakistan was a country for whom Nixon could do everything. He turned a blind eye to the massacre of the civilian population in East Pakistan 

by the West Pakistan ruled Army. President Nixon used Pakistan to open doors to China. In return they received massive financial support. Pakistan prospered during the Reagan years. After 9/11, George Bush also tied up with Pakistan for counter terrorism operations.

Haqqani mentions in his book that all along Pakistan used its military and economic assistance against India. The Pakistani rulers, who were mostly from the military, kept their country on a permanent war footing, eating away most of the internal revenue and American assistance, while the general populace suffered in penury. The mullahs of Pakistan, the religious fundamentalists, joined their voice to the anti-Indian rhetoric. They blamed the poor condition of people on conspiracies by India, Israel and America rather than owning up the real reason!

Haqqani's book mentions a former ambassador of USA to Pakistan, James M. Langley who called it "wishful thinking" that Pakistanis were pro-American. He said in 1957  "In Pakistan we have an unruly horse by the tail and are confronted by the dilemma of trying to tame it before we can let go safely".

Husain Haqqani has deep insight into Pakistan, his homeland, and America, where he was ambassador and is a professor at Boston University. He has bared his insight into this book. A memorable book and a must read.

Namaste

Prabir