US-Pakistan Relationship

A.Z. Hilali is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Peshawar, Pakistan

• Contents: Introduction; The geopolitics of US interests in South Asia; Pakistan's security dilemma; Motives behind the US-Pakistan relationship; Pakistan's response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; The US response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; The Afghan crisis and its consequences for Pakistan; Renewal of US-Pakistan partnership; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

'This book is an essential contribution to the study of US-Pakistan relationships since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Hilali skilfully exposes the hidden, though immense, involvement of Pakistan in the Afghan war and its less recognized role in the ultimate demise of the Soviet Empire. He reveals the nature of the Afghan war and its blundering impact on Pakistan's society, and provides a unique account of the country's foreign policy after the 9/11 incident, when the country turned from a supporter of the Taliban regime to a partner of the US in its war on terrorism.' Dr Seyed Mohammad Ali Taghavi, Fredowsi University, Iran 'This is an important, well conceived, superbly researched and lucidly written book. The author has analyzed US-Pakistan partnership during the Afghanistan war with a keen and penetrating insight. The book provides an immensely sensible and very readable account of the ignored aspects of Soviet adventurism in Afghanistan along with analytical review of what influenced Pakistan to join in the Afghanistan war. Undoubtedly the book is an indispensable and outstanding contribution in the field of Afghanistan studies.' Dr Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, The Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Pakistan ’...one of the best studies yet to appear on the reasons and consequences of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. [Hilali] explores the crucial but unacknowledged and pivotal contribution of Pakistan in the Afghan war...Hilali’s study is an important piece of scholarship on the vital issues of the contemporary history and politics of Afghanistan and the war against terrorism that should be of great interest to scholars, policy analysts, and government decision-makers.’ Professor Robert Olson, University of Kentucky, USA 'This volume is a detailed account of Pakistan's struggle to survive during the turbulent 1980s...Recommended.' Choice