Pakistan has close to 100 nuclear weapons ready to deploy, which makes U.S. – Pakistani relations among the most important in the world. In his recently published book, Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding, Ambassador Husain Haqqani narrates the troubled relationship between our two countries despite the importance of fostering strong bi-lateral ties. He writes, “since 1947 … dependence, deception and defiance have characterized U.S. – Pakistani relations” and that Pakistan has become a “uni-focal state” with a mission to get Kashmir back from India at any expense.  He also discusses the enormous strain put on U.S. – Pakistani relations in 2011 when it was discovered that Osama bin Laden had been hiding in Pakistan for 9 years.

Ambassador Haqqani is a Pakistani scholar and public figure who most recently served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S. from 2008-2011. Prior to serving as Ambassador to the U.S., Haqqani held several positions including adviser to Pakistani Prime Ministers Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto and Yusuf Raza Gilani.  He came to the U.S. in 2002 as a Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC and as adjunct professor at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University.