Read more
Zusatztext ‘Absorbing . . . combines scholarship with readability . . . postulates a theoretical schema to explain how in practice American policy towards Pakistan has resulted in the quest for "Primacy" making the US a "monster" in the public imagination in Pakistan . . . a useful Indian counterpart to the Pakistani scholar Husain Haqqani’s Magnificent Delusion.’Mani Shankar Aiyar, Former Minister, Government of India and India’s first Consul General in Karachi ‘Syed Tahseen Raza’s book is fascinating reading for anyone wishing to understand and evaluate the foreign policy behavior of the United States towards Pakistan in this century. Furthermore, this book is a key contribution that helps the reader to analyse the geo-strategic needs and compulsions of the United States in the South Asia region. Highly recommended for anyone interested in South Asian geopolitics!’Ashok Swain, Professor of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Sweden ‘In this book, Syed Tahseen Raza provides a rich analysis of the "tortured" relationship between the United States and Pakistan. Using 9/11 as a historical pivot, Raza traces the continuities and discontinuities from British colonial policies, through the Cold War, to the War on Terror. The focus on America’s "Grand Strategy of Primacy" allows Raza to evaluate the shortcomings of US policy. The analysis raises important questions for rethinking international relations through a deep historical study that is situated within global geopolitics that recognises the uniqueness of the South Asian regional context and made more complicated by the particular and changing interests of the various leaders of both US and Pakistan. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the current situation and reimagining new futures beyond the "tortured" past of US–Pakistan relations."Chad Haines, Associate Professor, Religious Studies, Senior Sustainability Scholar, Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, USA ‘In explaining US foreign policy toward Pakistan in terms of Grand Strategy of Primacy, this important book reveals the important political consequences of acting in terms of national and imperially-grounded security, rather than human security and transnational collaboration. It also exposes how fear, masked as cold, rational behavior, underlies US foreign policy toward this strategically important partner post 9/11. Its evidence-rich historical analysis makes it a must-read for analysts of US–Pakistani relationships.’ Catia Cecilia Confortini, Associate Professor, Peace & Justice Studies Program, Wellesley College, USA ‘In this beautifully crafted book on geostrategic politics in South Asia, Syed Tahseen Raza offers a nuanced and comprehensive analysis of what the US has gained by its involvement in Pakistan in the present century. It is a useful text for both students and specialists.’Mirza Asmer Beg, Professor and former Chairperson, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, India ‘Unlike much of South Asian scholarship on US engagement with the region dominated by empirical description and military focus, this book nicely balances theoretical insights with empirical analysis and provides a detailed and richer understanding of how the seemingly contradictory approaches of the US toward Pakistan has evolved over the time. An important contribution to the field of International Relations and South Asian studies.’Dibyesh Anand, Professor and Head of the School of Social Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK ‘Colonial activities are often portrayed as occurring in a bygone era, when continents and regions were viewed as playthings for the powerful, and people inhabiting these regions were treated as objects, not consent-bearing subjects entitled to determine the dynamics of their own societies and communities. In this work, exciting new scholar Dr. Syed Tahseen Raza shows ...
