Pakistan and American Diplomacy by Theodore Craig

Category:History/Politics/International Relations

Pages:296 

About the Book:

Pakistan and American Diplomacy: Insights from 9/11 to the Afghanistan Endgame by Theodore “Ted” Craig offers an insider’s examination of the complicated relationship between Pakistan and the United States during the post-9/11 era. Craig brings unusual firsthand experience to the subject, having spent 29 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, including two assignments in Islamabad and a posting as political counselor. He also worked on issues involving peace and security, human rights, and other foreign-policy matters. His professional background gives the book particular significance for readers interested in diplomacy, Pakistan’s foreign policy, U.S. policy in South Asia, and the international response to terrorism and the Afghanistan conflict.

Rather than presenting a conventional narrative, Craig builds the book around major episodes and policy challenges in U.S.-Pakistan relations, using the 2019 Cricket World Cup as an unusual framework for examining Pakistan’s connections with the United States, India, Afghanistan, China, Britain, and other countries. The book explores democracy promotion, terrorism and insurgency, Kashmir, hostage diplomacy, the legacy of British rule, China’s growing role in Pakistan, and the decisions surrounding the Afghanistan war. Craig ultimately examines the policy choices that contributed to the fall of the Kabul government in 2021 and considers what the United States and Pakistan might learn from two decades of difficult relations.