After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan stands on the edge of an abyss, in to which it may plunge the world. As this nuclear power nation, the front line of the West's struggle against Al Qaeda, enters the worst political crisis in its history, Zahid Hussain's acclaimed and updated book unravels the key questions: who really controls the country? Will Pakistan be Talibanized? Has Al Qaeda infilitrated the state? Hussain shows that whoever was behind Bhutto's assassination, its main effect has been to accelerate the country's fragmentation, creating a level of uncertainty and chaos from which only extremists and terrorists can benefit. Whatever lies in wait for Pakistan - Talibanization, civil war or worse - it will have grave implications for the entire world. 'Well researched, well written, impeccably sourced and balanced, accurate, reliable, and above all, amazingly clear and comprehensible. Hussain has interviewed most of the principal players in the Government, the military and the jihadi groups…Unlike many commentators on militant Islam, Hussain writes with nuance and understanding' - William Dalrymple, The Times'An important and informed inside look' - Seymour Hersh' The first serious exposure of the rise and continuation of Islamic extremism in Pakistan…Hussain shows the links between the major jihadi groups, Al Qaeda and the country's military intelligence with a degree of detail not seen in any Western writing on the subject' - Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban
