During the first week of the Winter Course, Academy student, Ms. Shahneela Tariq, donated a recent publication from Pakistan to the Peace Palace Library on behalf of the University of Lahore. The book is titled 'The Blind Eye, U.S. Non-Proliferation Policy Towards Pakistan from Ford to Clinton’ by author Dr. Rabia Akhtar, a leading expert on security and strategy studies with a focus on nuclear politics. Challenging widely held notions, 'The Blind Eye' offers the first research-based critique on U.S. nonproliferation policy towards Pakistan from President Ford to President Clinton. Pak-U.S. relations have been and continue to be marred by various issues. One of the most contentious factors that strained ties between the two countries was Pakistan getting a nuclear deterrent for itself to achieve parity with India. Read the full abstract here
Pakistan-U.S. relations have been and continue to be marred by various issues. One of the most contentious factors that strained ties between the two countries was Pakistan getting a nuclear deterrent for itself to achieve parity with India. Challenging widely held notions,The Blind Eye offers the first research-based critique on U.S. nonproliferation policy towards Pakistan from Ford to Clinton. Using archives from five Presidential libraries, the author academically derides U.S.' nonproliferation efforts by arguing that it turned a blind eye to Pakistan's bomb-making drive through waivers and sanctions relief in order to achieve its geopolitical objectives, both during and after the Cold War.Thus, the book analyzes that there was a discernible difference between lofty goals and policies to halt proliferation on part of the U.S. The book also highlights as to how Pakistani leaders across the civil military divide, diplomats and the military wisely maneuvered their way to being a Nuclear Weapon State, something which was more than what they had bargained for initially. The study thus challenges the oft-repeated mantra of Pak-U.S. relations being lopsided. The book is reflective of the inherent strength and potential of Pak-U.S. relations and what is needed to resuscitate it. However, the scholarly indictment of U.S.' credibility in enforcing its nonproliferation policy, has implications for Washington's dealing with prospective proliferants rearing their heads and posing challenges to the nonproliferation regime.
Dr. Rabia Akhtar is an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department in the School of Integrated Social Sciences at the University of Lahore, Pakistan. In addition, Dr Akhtar is the founding Director for the Centre for Security, Strategy and Policy Research at the University. She is a Fullbright alumna and completed for doctoral degree on a five-year Fulbright scholarship in Security Studies at the Kansas State University. She is an associate of the Nuclear Proliferation International History project at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. She serves as the managing editor of Pakistan's first strategic and foreign affairs magazine, Pakistan Politico.
The Peace Palace Library would like to express its gratitude and appreciation in response of this book donation from the University of Lahore which enables us to create a resource-rich library. We thank you for your support.