Product Description

Pakistan, the likely home of Osama Bin Laden and safe house for the Taliban forces fighting NATO in Afghanistan, stands on the front line of the war against terror. Yet, as recent events have shown, this long-time ally of the West and recipient of $10 billion of American aid in the past decade, is in deepening crisis. As President Pervez Musharraf struggles, with ever-diminishing success, to cling to power through states of emergency and imprisonment of his opponents, a range of forces are attempting to fill the vacuum that surrounds him: (before her death) Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, both previous presidents themselves and, Ali, argues, more corrupt than Musharraf himself; a lawyers movement that has taken to the streets demanding adherence to the constitution and the rule of law; and the Islamists in Waziristan and the North West Frontier whose increasingly effective assaults on the Pakistan army threaten to tip the country into full-blown civil war.With customary verve and acuity, Ali parses the prospects for these contending groups, drawing on extensive first-hand research and personal knowledge of many of the key players involved to assess the causes and consequences of Pakistan's rapid spiral into political chaos.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #248525 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Review
'Not since Ayesha Siddiqa's groundbreaking work "Military Inc" has there been such a well-informed and articulate account of the country's history' --Mohammed Hanif, The Guardian

Review
'"The Duel" should be read for an understanding of the role America has played in creating this dangerous mix and why many Pakistanis see us as responsible for their problems'

Customer Reviews

Honest, Brutal, Excellent
A real honest, brutal at times, account of the failures of present and past politicians of Pakistan in implementing the will of the voters in national and international matters. Charting how the Pak-American relationship was formed over the early part of the country's existence. Gives a well written account of regional politics today, providing an excellent account of the current Afghan situation, in light of Pakistani and American influences and interests. Tariq Ali's own personality drips through this book, with his political activism evident through anecdotes, and accounts of his own life and experiences. These touches humanise the book, however this would not be to everyone's taste. Ali seems to be a "like it or lump it" kind of guy, and it is this unforgiving attitude that makes this book stand out, and be demanded to be read. Highly recommended.

Great analysis. A very necessary book.
We are heading towards the U.S. presidency of Barack Obama. Obama has promised to put the war in Afghanistan high on his list of priorities. Not to reach a negotiated settlement, but to achieve the mirage of a military victory. This will involve U.S. military action in Pakistan and risk destabilising that country. If anyone doubted that Pakistan was being sucked into the centre of the maelstrom of the War Against Terror, they can stop doubting.

It's with this near future in mind that I read Tariq Ali's `The Duel', hoping to find a clear understanding of Pakistani political history and, expecially, how the relationship with U.S. imperialism works. This book gave me what I was looking for.

Tariq knows Pakistani politics and history, knows many of the individuals he writes about personally and, coupled with his own astute political analysis, is able to present a clear and readable account of that politics and history.

It has to be said, that the history of Pakistan is not a pretty one. This unattractive history is marked by the duel (hence the title of the book) between the mass of the Pakistani people and those corrupt, venal and vicious people who make up the elite of Pakistani society - both the civilians and the military - and who run that society in their own interests and in the interests of their key foreign backers in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

Tariq presents this history well and weaves analysis into the narrative. You can tell that he also writes novels as his style is very readable.

Key events in Pakistani history are clearly explained and spice added as Tariq delves into such things as competing theories as to who assassinated the vile General Zia and why the journalist Daniel Pearl was murdered.

There are comic moments when, describing U.S. demands on General Musharraf, Tariq quips that, had such demands been met, Pakistan and it's sovereignty would have been reduced to the level of Britain.

More seriously, Tariq proposes reforms which he believes would go a long way to help stabilise Pakistan and improve the lives of it's people. He knows, however, that these reforms will not be implemented as the elite in Pakistan is tied to Washington and, ultimately, serves the needs of Washington.

Tariq fears for the future of Pakistan if the U.S. continues to undermine the state and the army, which he fears may split if put under too much pressure, by launching military operations across the frontier from Afghanistan. The undermining of a nuclear state is a very foolish thing to do.

In the coming months and years Pakistan will move even further on to the centre stage of world events. If you want to understand what is happening and why, then you will need this book.

Excellent.

The Duel: Pakistan on the flight path of American Power
Loved it! Ali throws a fresh light on the modern history of Pakistan by adding important historic details to the overall picture. Naturally the chapters which deal with the late 60es and early 80es stand out stonger, since Ali have written about these periods in two earlier books. But since Ali is the first to point out where history proved him wrong (allthough he never loses an opportunity to point out were he was right either), he still leaves a fresh impression. One mayor point of critique, however, is the title. Only the last chapters deals extensively with the juxtaposition of american foreign policy and Pakistan, whereas the rest of the book throws in a note or two on the subject. Here I am led to believe that commercial motives flawed Alis choice of title. But still a good book, which I would recommend to anybody with a general knowledge and insight of pakistani politics since 1947.