1st Edition

Uneasy Neighbors India, Pakistan and US Foreign Policy

By Kanishkan Sathasivam Copyright 2005

    This volume represents a comprehensive and detailed case study of the long-running conflict between India and Pakistan - primarily over the contested territory of Kashmir, and the involvement of the United States within that conflict. The book details the history of 'Partition', the critical event in the modern history of the subcontinent and the fundamental catalyst for the enduring rivalry between India and Pakistan. It provides a summary description and analysis of the characteristics - demographic, social-cultural, political, economic and military - of the three primary actors that are party to the conflict: the sovereign states of India and Pakistan and the territory of Kashmir. It explains the history of US policy toward India and Pakistan as individual countries as well as US policy toward the conflict between them, particularly in light of the Indian and Pakistani nuclear tests of 1998 and events since September 11, 2001. In addition, the volume also describes and analyzes the involvement of three other major extra-regional actors.

    Contents: Preface; The origins of conflict between India and Pakistan: a brief review of history; Portraits of South Asia; India and US foreign policy; Pakistan and US foreign policy; Strategic instability in South Asia: why Kashmir may be the most dangerous place in the world; Conclusion: India, Pakistan, and the future of US Foreign Policy; Bibliography; Index.

    Biography

    Dr Kanishkan Sathasivam is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Salem State College, USA.

    ’A timely contribution to the debate on US-India and US-Pakistan foreign policies after 9/11, the conflict over Kashmir and the India-Pakistan enduring rivalry. Students and scholars of the India-Pakistan conflict and US foreign policy can find useful material in Sathasivam's book.’ Professor Alex Mintz, Texas A&M University and Yale University, USA 'Sathasivam paints a comprehensive and fascinating portrait of the enduring rivalry between India and Pakistan. All those who wish to understand this conflict, as well as its critical implications for US foreign policy and the global war on terror, ought to read this book.' Professor Bertram Johnson, Middlebury College, USA ’...a very insightful and timely analysis...indispensable reading for those interested in one of the most volatile and important regions in the world.' Professor Steven B. Redd, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA