**spoiler alert** What do you get when a Cambridge Educated researcher and historian lives in Pakistan for more than 15 years and decides to share his**spoiler alert** What do you get when a Cambridge Educated researcher and historian lives in Pakistan for more than 15 years and decides to share his educated insights ? You get a masterpiece.
Anatol Lieven's current book is basically a compendium , a synthesis, a very very intense one, of years upon years of travelling throughout Pakistan and interviewing people from all walks of life from tribal chieftains, policemen , peasantry, taliban fighters, political party members to senior officials , army generals , officers, mayors down to the mere private , ISI(Pakistan secret services) operatives , police intendents , constables to businessmen , shop keepers, blue collard workers, laywers, judges, mullahs, pirs...you get the idea.
So on one hand you have this dimension of such a wide and varied range of people telling their stories and how they see things and on the other you also have each province/region of Pakistan being firmly delimitated , explained by all accounts be it poltiical , military, exonomical , religious , social, and the cherry on the cake , how each province interacts and views the other and all internal tensions that appear whenever there is a ecological disaster or an insurgency both of which can displace millions of people.
This book has totally rocked me , and i will be forever grateful that such people still exist , people that do the hard meticulous work of writing first grade non-fiction literature, people that research and research and research more across multiple years, just to synthetise everything in a mere 600 pages. I was wrong believeing everything contemporary is trashy self development non-books and easy-to-sell-buzzword bonanzas. This one is one of those rare ones so treat it with care and don't rush through it !
A couple of ideas that stuck with me:
- Pakistan is a working chaos, a negotiated state, a state where you need to take into consideration each party of the transaction,a state where patronage, prestige and above all clan affiliation is everything. For example: on one hand you have a city like Karachi, a pearl of modernity at the Indian Ocean, a city founded by Mohajirs(muslim that fled India) on the other you have the NWFP (north western frontier province) where people are at peace only when they wage war on anybody that represents authority, be it US on their relatives in Afghanistan or the Police and Pakistani Army. In one city you have modern IT and Road infrastructure while in the other crime is negociated via a community assembly and does not result in punishment but in compensation, girls are killed for choosing suitors outside their clan and Taliban can always find a safe heaven and a regrouping ground while running from US forces.
-Everything appears to point that nothing is working , the state services are abysmal , there are insurgencies upon insurgencies , there are 3 juridical codes: state law, sharia law and local law (e.g Pashtunwali) , huge portions of the country are subjected to tribal feuds and mediated via Jirgas (community gatherings act as both the law givers and enforcers). Despite all this, despite a this chaos, Pakistan manages to negotiate and keep the state flowing, by using negotiation, bribery as well as brute force whenever it needs to.
-Sharia is basically a written law code , the code that Muhammad placed upon the tribes to unform and get rid of local barbaric customs. Sharia is not primitive compared to what local traditions can be , like in Pakistan. Sharia is actually a sign of modernity of uniformity.
- We do not realize the importance of having a single supreme judicial authority in the country, a single organ that can change and keep tabs of the law code. Pakistan has 3: sharia , state law (based on former british administrations) and local law. Everybody is exasperated that the state does nothing and solves nothing (including delivering justice to criminals) while the typical Pakistani follows whichever code benefits him in any given situation.
- Pakistan helps the Talibans from Afghanistan even if that means supplying weapons and intelligence , hsoting them , despite US warnings, because its main fear is a non-taliban India- friendly gonverment in Afghanistan , a gonverment that could (backed by India) attack Pakistan from the west , while India does it from the East in a two pronged assault.
There are too many things to add but i will stop here. The book is beyond terrific and i recommend it wholeheartedly ! -...more
**spoiler alert** I had a total blast reading Mehran Kamrava's book on Turkey-Iran rivalry and decided to share my review :
Reading this book i finally**spoiler alert** I had a total blast reading Mehran Kamrava's book on Turkey-Iran rivalry and decided to share my review :
Reading this book i finally understood what notions such as soft power , nationalism , ethnicism means in politics and state building and also the multiple dimensions on how they interplay.
I loved the chapter on West Azerbaijan(Iranian province) and The Republic of Azerbaijan (historical land named Aran) and how the latter fabricated history by taking the name of the former region and later claiming union with it(which is part of Iran), followed by the Iranian counterclaim.
Azerbaijan sharing the shiite religious sect and language, and history with Iran (and belonging to former Persia up until 1828) but the Turkic ethnicity with turkey and how the gonverment deals with this duality was also fun to read.
The geopolitics of Turkey , more specifically its ambitions of becoming an energy hub in the middle east, juggling multiple oil pipeline projects with Russia, Azerbaijan , Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan and even Israel was another blast. The dynamics that need to be considered , threats and opportunities faced on a regular basis by Turkey foreign policy makers are incredible.
I also enjoyed the chapter on how Armenia and Georgia's paths diverged right after independence. Georgia, getting in the early 2000 a gonverment led by Saakashvili and his cabinet, all young western educated men ardent in making the state institutions strong and cutting down corruption thus getting closer to EU values with each given year, while Armenia entered in the Karabach war which resulted in scarce commodities and a conflict economy , an economy getting dominated by a few powerful men (oligarchs) that would entrench themselves in the very fabric of the political and economical system, a phenomenon which would stall for decades the development of the country.
Another good chapter was the one on the Fetullah Gulen movement. Starting with the 90s it improved turkey's image by building educational facilities in the Caucasus, Middle East and Maghreb spreading Turkish culture and values. Gulen and his movement were backed up by the state of Turkey and together, the two entities created an image of Turkey as model country merging moderate Islam with secular values such as a strong educational system, army and economy worth following for other countries , esentially developing soft power. Later on this partnership continued with AKP and Erdogan. Eventually and unfortunately the two personalities when having no other rivals (after getting rid of the army generals and Kemalist elites) they became rivals and fought each other politically thus tarnishing all previous efforts of Turkey as a credible model state.
The book was great and the chapters were written by different authors each being a master in his field of research. You are basically reading a collection of research documents put together by a very crafty author which makes them as a cohesive unit.
I was always curious on what the relations of these two powerhouses - Turkey and Iran - are with each other and this book provided that and alot more. Basically they are rivals competing for influence in the Caucasus and Middle East , they are not large enough to deploy and start long wars due to limited revenue streams but are strong enough to exert influence and hold their own. They understood that after USSR fall and later US retreat there remained a power vaccuum that needed to be filled in the region so both states stepped up. They are rivals and compete but they also are interdependent. Turkey needs Iran oil for domestic use as well as the revenue generated by being a oil transit state to Europe. Iran needs turkey to sell its oil and act as a gateway for its products to Europe. Though rivals ,they respect each other and also share some powerful common goals like : stability in the middle east and ....not letting Kurds craft their own state.
I gave the book 4 stars because i felt that the conclusion was a bit rushed and not that meaty , but this was a great great book !...more
**spoiler alert** Este de departe cea mai buna carte de istorie pe care am citit-o in ultimii 3 ani. O capodoera a geopoliticii orientului mijlociu. Bai**spoiler alert** Este de departe cea mai buna carte de istorie pe care am citit-o in ultimii 3 ani. O capodoera a geopoliticii orientului mijlociu. Baiatul asta a intrat atat de adanc in acest conflict armat de m-a dat pe spate. Pagini intregi de descrieri ale luptelor in provinciile iraniene , in muntii Iraqului , in Golful Persic , cu descrieri devastatoare ale efectivelor militare , ale tacticilor, ale armelor folosite , provenienta lor.
Se prezinta lupte terestre , bombardamente , batalii navale, contraspionaj , precum si eforturile sustinute in diplomatie cu marile puteri precum URSS , SUA , tarile golfului,Europa , China si Korea de Nord. Efectiv cartea este una holistica si te trece prin toate , iar proverbul "Dusmanul de azi este prietenul de maine" vine la tanc in acest context.
In ce carte de istorie afli ca Israelul a livrat si sustinut schimburi comerciale militare cu Iranul mult timp dupa radicalizarea sa , odata cu venirea lui Khomeini.
Un alt fact fain: toata tevatura din Liban , cu "lupta" lor de rezistenta impotriva vestului si a Israelului , a fost doar un mod al Iranului de a pune presiune pe tarile europene (cu precadere Franta) in isi opri sustinerea militara a lui Saddam Hussein , folosind astfel cu succes razboiul asimetric (atentate, luare de ostatici).
Franta a fost efectiv cea mai mare tarfa a Europei, ca nu pot sa ii zic altfel , cea care a jucat la ambele capete , care a inchis ochii la atacuri teroriste in propria capitala doar pentru a putea livra mai multe arme.
Un razboi total , unde armele chimice au fost folosite ca bomboanele de catre Irakieni , apoi folosite asupra propriei populatii kurde. In tot acest timp Iranul la randul sau a dus un razboi pe 3 fronturi: intern pe plan politic intre comunisti , fundamentalisti si cei pro vest , regional : minoritatile azere, balochistaneze si kurde facand atentate si bineinteles cel cu Irak-ul lui Saddam Hussein.
Este o carte superba pentru amatorii de istorie si geopolitica , iar faptul ca autorul a stat si a agregat si sintetizat sute de ore de casete audio inregistrate de Saddam Hussein , ar trebui sa fie o dovada clara a calitatii si veridicitatii faptelor prezentate.
**spoiler alert** Julian was what i would call a genius, an enlightened monarch,so way ahead of his time, like a Nikola Tesla of our time.
Its painful **spoiler alert** Julian was what i would call a genius, an enlightened monarch,so way ahead of his time, like a Nikola Tesla of our time.
Its painful almost to see such an intelligent , compassionate , resourceful young man dealing with the stupidity, gore and lack of interest for himan life of that era, with his intelligence He tried unsuccesfully to convince proto christians with facts and philosophy that its not ok to enforce their religion upon everyone by force christians-which were such a unyieldly,troublesome,murderous lot in the IV century AD.
Even though by birth i am a christian , the hypocrisy of christians is enormous in this text and i must confess it has shaken my view on centralized religion.
I am totally ok with democracy and reaching consensus in everything from relationships , state affairs , law ...etc but i find it damn hard to respect what a bunch of people congregated and decided what the customs and traditions are for centuries to come , and enforcing these customs by force (many scriptures which were better suited burned and their writers deemed blasphemous)
Christianity basically didnt bring anything new to the table , its just a mix of local religions continously changed so that it was able to convert all the populations of the empire.
For example even the ritual of drinking wine and eating bread of the saviour was stolen from The Cult of Mithras.
The term of fathers stolen from Zarathustra.
I find it pretty damn disconcerting to follow the customs of a religion that came to be only by using sheer force and dominance over the others and to believe in something that came to be through murder and opportunism not through the sheer truth.
The best parts of the book were Julian's debates with the episcopes over christandom vs hellenistic gods where you can actually see the christians have no spine , no truth , changing everything in order to suit them.
For example publicly rejecting Plato,Homer and other great authors and deeming them the devil , while using their operas in their monasteries and schools in order to educate young people and to make the religion more atteactive.
I can't stand double standards !
The book is great , Julian is a terrific writer , with an outstanding clarity of thoughts.
I got to see the roman society of the IV century AD in its entirety as well as Rome's traiditonal enemies like Germans or Sassanians.
When you think about it, its a marvel that you living in 2000AC can read something dated 2000BC. The story is actually older and the pieces were put toWhen you think about it, its a marvel that you living in 2000AC can read something dated 2000BC. The story is actually older and the pieces were put together by an antic unknown benefactor.
The story of Ggilgames is humbling in that not even the greatest of the greatest kings can escape death. The descriptive passages regarding the sourroundings , characters and actions are vivid , easy to grasp.
I loved the parallels between Sumerian religion/legends the and ancient Greek/Christian ones.
One cannot stand idle but ask : Could all religions and legends have one true source ?...more
**spoiler alert** This book has both historical breadth since it covers Egypt, Lebanon,Pakistan, Iraq, Afganistan and of course the two important play**spoiler alert** This book has both historical breadth since it covers Egypt, Lebanon,Pakistan, Iraq, Afganistan and of course the two important players of the regions Iran and Saudi Arabia , and of course depth since it depicts events unfolding from 1979 to 2020.
What i learned would be this: - the trouble in middle east started in the fateful year of 1979 with 3 events unfolding in parallel and ubrelated to one another:
1. Khoemini's Revolution in Iran which toppled the shah and instead of a more moderate regime a theocratic repressive regime was installed that endures to this day , a regime whose main goal is to export revolution everywhere. Of course this set the tone for revolutionaries in Egypt, Pakistan, Lebanon and Syria to topple their own leaders.
2. The terrorist attack carried out in Mecca, Saudi Arabia which made the Saud family fearful of losing control of the country, and made it forge a powerful symbiotic relationship with the more radical clergy , the followers of Wahhabism. Saudi rulers in order to mask their incompetence and divert attention in the later decades would export Wahhabism in Pakistan , Egypt in the form of cash, Madrassas and modified Quran's inciting to sectarianism (making killing of fellow christians , shia etc legally ok , even a muslims' duty).
3. The soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which in the 80's neighbouring Pakistan served as a launching for soldiers and also think tank meeting places for people like Bin Laden and Zarqawi to meet and plan grander designs.
In short, along the decades Saudi Arabia has always feared Iran and its ever expanding influence. Saudi Arabia tried and tried again to become as feared and respected as Iran by pumping cash in Sunni states and turning them into little satellites (Pakistan). However this set the tone and fermented and what turned out in Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq and Syria was something macabre sinister that would start a life of its own, terrorist organisations sprouting along the decades each using the previous one as inspiration and also trying to outdo the other.
What is ironic is that religion has been used time and time again as a smoke screen or weapon for Saudi Arabia while Iran always used the "Islamic Resistance against infidels" theme to further its agenda and set up proxies in the middle east like Syria and Lebanon.
This is a book about the countless people that tried to oppose their countries heading into darkness more and more with each generation. The countless assasinations , bombings , exilations and wrongs done upon them.
The book is also about the future. Funny enough Saudi Arabia's Young Prince Muhammmad bin Salman the soon to.be king realised religion cannot be used anymore to appease people and project power , so he dismantled and turned the country 180 degrees in the span of a couple of years, of course while silencing his foes in more brutal and direct approach (killing and hacking to pieces of a reknowned journalist inside the Saudi Arabian embassy of Istanbul) !
I seriously marvel that behing these two countries the religion is just a toy , a dangerous toy that was used time and time again to brainwash entire generations, erasing the collective memory of millions of people.
**spoiler alert** Never has a book shed so much light upon such a controversial subject : Lebanon and the rise of Hezbollah.
This book is addicting , w**spoiler alert** Never has a book shed so much light upon such a controversial subject : Lebanon and the rise of Hezbollah.
This book is addicting , written in a thriller like manner , following the original timeline of the rise of Hezbollah.
The reader is thrown directly into the Beirut 80's , a city with daily bombings , mass slaughters , ethnic cleansing , guerillas around every corner, Israel occupying the southern part of the country while US and western countries are trying to figure out what the hell their peacekeeping efforts are worth.
The story begins with the total obliteration of the US Embassy in Beirut , a seven story building , performed using a truck going at full speed packed with a ton of explosives.The truck penetrates the security fence and breaks through the main entrace of the compund and stops into the lobby. The dead-man switch detonates and the building evaporates killing around 100 officials and injuring hundreds.
From here on we find out that the perpretators are shia individuals from the Beka'a Valley , a region inhabited by the poor shia minority of Lebanon. This region will become the perfect recruitment center for the emerging terror faction - Hezbollah.
Iran sends a couple of thousands special agents to start preparing this new Resistance Movement . The constant cash flows from this big brother will enchance the new faction in areas such as bomb making , kindnapping , warfare , quality of life thus securing a steady and consistent flow of young men ready to die in the waar against Israel and its allies.
The first action will be introducing a new form of assymetrical warfare : bombing suicidial attacks on Western presence in Beirut basically exporting Ayatollah Khomeini's islamic revolution to Lebanon.
The situation escalates ,in the upcoming years diplomatic compounds around the world turn to dust , civilians from all walks of life are abducted , tortured and killed , airplanes are sabotaged , USA and especially Israel retaliate with lethal force and deadly precision.
A complete timeline of why the things are as they are in Lebanon , how Hezbollah raised to power , the constant long reaching arm of Iran and meddling in Beirut affairs , the always ready to facilitate/intermediate Syrian neighbour.On the other hand we start with the impotent CIA that does almost nothing in the 80's and 90's to save its abducted citizens , which after the Reagan administration slowly starts showing its teeth , esoecially after 2001.
Last but not least, Israel, always vigilent , always ready for an eye for an eye operation , always seen as a pariah by western powers for defending its citizens.
An interesting perspective on the ongoing border conflict between Israel and Lebanon told by a former Israeli soldier serving in the Security Zone ( sAn interesting perspective on the ongoing border conflict between Israel and Lebanon told by a former Israeli soldier serving in the Security Zone ( south Lebanon Israeli controlled area long after the war of the 80's) as an outpost(aka The Pumpkin) defender.
We get an idea on the effects of this war from the perspective of a yound 20 year old soldier in the prime of his youth having to deal with uncertainity death , boredom all while other "normal people " of his age were waiting for the turn of the century.
The remarkable aspect is that after serving his time on the hill outpost , years later he fakes his identity and travels back to this forgotten war relic this time , from the Lebannese side.
The book is a testimony to the fraility of life and a good motivator to take life in your hands and make the best of it....more
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