Graduate Fellow reviews two books on Pakistan for Foreign Policy

The first book is former DIA Senior Intelligence AnalystOwen L. Sirrs’ Pakistan’s Inter-services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations. Bolsinger writes that “Sirrs’ discussion of the transformational role of the Afghan Program — from the early support to Islamists in 1973 through the 1991 creation of the Taliban — is strong, as are his descriptions of how Islamization undermined ISI internal discipline.”

The second book Bolsinger reviews isHein G. Kiessling’s Faith, Unity, Discipline: The ISI of Pakistan. Bolsinger argues that “in contrast to Sirrs’ chronological march through ISI’s development, Kiessling’s narrative veers between ISI’s organization, historical controversies, and personality clashes among military and civilian leaders.” 

Overall, Bolsinger finds that “together, these two books highlight the need to better understand the role of intelligence services in developing democracies such as Pakistan.”

Read the full article here.