In the Line of Fire: A Memoir

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Title In the Line of Fire: A Memoir
1st edition cover
Author Pervez Musharraf
Country Pakistan
Language English
Subject(s) Autobiography, Memoir
Genre(s) Non-fiction
Publisher Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Released September 25, 2006
Pages 368 p.
ISBN ISBN 0-7432-8344-9 (US edition),
ISBN 0-7432-9582-X (UK edition)

In the Line of Fire: A Memoir is a book written by the president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf and first published on September 25, 2006. The book contains a collection of memories of Pervez Musharraf and is being marketed as the official autobiography.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

The book begins by outlining Musharraf's rise to the military scene. He talks about his childhood and goes through his education. He devotes a chapter on his life in Turkey as a child and talks about the life of his parents, who despite being poor (like many who had swapped countries in the Partition of 1947) used to provide for the more destitue in the form of donations. He mentions major moments in his life, including when he was critically injured after falling of a mango tree, when he planted a timed bomb in his teacher's letterbox and rubbish bin and when he was ragged as a new addition to the Pakistan Military Academy, which he calls the best academy in the world. He mentions his political views and his admiration for some of the military leaders in Pakistan. He also produces criticism against the way democracy was run in Pakistan, saying the military were given increasingly political roles but were reprimanded at times for getting too involved in the political scence. He details his hatred of Prime Minister Bhutto's martial law period and his role in Zia ul-Haq's martial law. He also talks about his various roles in the military and his natural motivational skills. He takes extreme pride in the fact that as a commander, he participated in any drills and exercises he was meant to oversee, he believes that the troops he commanded looked up to him because of this.

He talks of his role in the Pakistani SSG and his gallantry medal for his role in the artillery units in the military. He says he was gifted with military tactics at an early age, as he used to be instrumental in battles between street gangs within his home city of Karachi, the aim was to capture the flag of the other gang, and Musharraf organized ambushes and other tactical attacks which ensured victory.

He presents his views about the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 as well as that of the 1999 Kargil Conflict. He bears the view that Pakistan were the winners of the '65 war, a view disputed by most historians[1][2]. He also is selective in his judgement of the 1971 war. In the 1999 war, he believes India crossed the Line of Control, something which the United Nations commended India for not doing.[3] He is of the view that India started all three wars, a blatant inaccuracy.[4] He is of the view that Indian troops would die in the harsh terrain and their comrades would later claim that the troops died in engagement with Pakistanis. This view has been criticized by some.

He devotes a chapter to his coup against Nawaz Sharif and goes into detail about Sharif's hijacking of his plane from the ground. He believes Nawaz Sharif, in the action of sacking him from the position of Army Chief, had staged a coup against the military. He talks about the power distribution in what he calls the worst decade in Pakistan's history (the 90s). He also believes Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif had been under the immense influence of his father, Mian Mohammad Sharif, who influenced prime minister Sharif to stage the coup against him.

Musharraf says in his memoir that he had little choice after the September 11 attacks but to switch from supporting the Taliban to backing the U.S.-led war on terror groups or face an American onslaught. Fearing a return to the Stone Age, Pervez Musharraf agreed to back the U.S. led war against terror. The book also criticizes the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, saying it has made the world "more dangerous."

Unusual in publishing a memoir while still in power, Musharraf says Pakistan, the United States, and Saudi Arabia created an extremist monster by supporting Islamic groups fighting the Soviet Union's 1979-89 occupation of Afghanistan. Musharraf states, "We had assisted in the rise of the Taliban after the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan, which was then callously abandoned by the United States.” He goes on to add that it was within this vacuum that Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terror network strengthened, thanks to the support of the Taliban's leader, Mullah Omar. Musharraf, who came to power in a 1999 coup, affirms Pakistan saw the Taliban as a means to end years of chaos in Afghanistan, which peaked during the 1992-96 civil war. Islamabad also saw the Taliban as a counter to Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, which favored Pakistan's rival, India.

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Musharraf says he realized continuing to support the Taliban and having ties with militant groups would set Pakistan on a collision course with Washington. "America was sure to react violently, like a wounded bear," Musharraf writes. "If the perpetrator turned out to be al-Qaida, then that wounded bear would come charging straight toward us." The day after the suicide plane attacks, Musharraf writes, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned with an ultimatum, "You are either with us or against us." The next day, he says, Powell's then deputy, Richard Armitage, telephoned the chief of Pakistan's top spy agency, the Directorate of Inter Services Intelligence, with an even sterner warning:

"In what has to be the most undiplomatic statement ever made, Armitage . . . told the director general not only that we had to decide whether we were with America or with the terrorists, but that if we chose the terrorists, then we should be prepared to be bombed back to the Stone Age."

Musharraf worried about nuclear-armed India, with which Pakistan has fought three wars since their 1947 independence from Britain, including two over the disputed Himalayan region of now divided Kashmir. "The Indians might have been tempted to undertake a limited offensive there (Kashmir); or more likely they would work with the United States and the United Nations to turn the present situation into a permanent status quo," Musharraf writes. "The United States would certainly have obliged." He adds, "It is no secret that the United States has never been comfortable with a Muslim country acquiring nuclear weapons and the Americans undoubtedly would have taken the opportunity of an invasion to destroy such weapons." Musharraf declares he thus cut Pakistan's support for the Taliban, despite a possible backlash from radical Islamic groups in his country.

"Why should we put our national interest on the line for a primitive regime that would be defeated?" he asks. "Self-interest and self-preservation were the basis of this decision." Nevertheless, Musharraf disputes Bush's argument that the world is safer following the invasion of Iraq, saying he opposed the war because he "feared it would exacerbate extremism, as it has most certainly done. . . . The world has become far more dangerous." Musharraf details some of the 670 arrests of al-Qaida suspects in Pakistan, including the killers of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl. However, he concedes al-Qaida and Taliban militants still operate in his country, while repeating his insistence that he has no knowledge of the whereabouts of top fugitives, including bin Laden and Omar. "If I had to guess, I would assume that he (bin Laden) is moving back and forth across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border somewhere," Musharraf writes.

[edit] Editions

Cover of the US edition

Cover of the UK edition

Cover of the Hindi edition

Cover of the Tamil edition

Currently the book is published in four editions: Pak (English & Urdu), US, and UK. All feature the picture of Pervez Musharraf at the centre of the green and white background. The Urdu edition hit the market 3 weeks after the initial publication in English.

In the US edition the president appears in a salutary posture with his right hand fingers touching the forehead. In the UK edition, the author seems in a thinking posture with his left hand fingers kept on his chin. In comparison with the US edition, the UK edition spots a crescent on the silky green background of the book.

[edit] Hindi edition

A New Delhi publisher is publishing the Hindi version of his book titled as Agnipath (the fire path). All the 8000 copies of the English version were sold out in India during the initial stage of the launch. The Indian distributor has ordered another 4000 copies to meet the demand, according to the news reports.

The Hindi edition, getting translated and printed in India, will hit the bookstores by early October 2006. It is anticipated that the Hindi version would be sold in India for Rs 395, which is about one third of the English version’s cost.[5]

[edit] Tamil edition

New Horizon Media, a Chennai-based Indian language publishing house, has published the Tamil translation of his book, titled உடல் மண்ணுக்கு(Udal Mannukku) (ISBN 81-8368-252-9), under its கிழக்கு பதிப்பகம (Kizhakku Pathippagam) imprint.

The Tamil edition's title was taken from the popular Tamil quote “Udal Mannukku, Uyir Thamizhukku!" (My body to the soil, my life to Tamil!) . Nagore Rumi translated the book into Tamil. B.S.Raghavan, a former Ministry of Home Affairs bureaucrat of the Government of India, released the book in Chennai during the 30th Chennai Book Fair January 10th, 2007.

The Tamil version is priced at Rs. 250 about a quarter of the price of the English edition, which is sold in India for Rs. 950.

[edit] Urdu edition

An Urdu edition of the book was also released. It however removes the controversial comments made in the English book including that the government was paid for the capture of Taliban and al-Qaeda militants.

[edit] Criticism

This book and its launch have generated a fair amount of criticism. The allegations range from blatant printing errors to outright lies[6], to using a state event to self promotion of his book,[7] ( which is believed to have cost the Pakistani government exchequer up to $1,000,000[8] ).

  • Musharraf claimed that Daniel Pearl's murderer was an MI6 (British Intelligence) agent; the United States Pentagon says that this is utterly false, and that the real murderer was 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed."
  • It is alleged that the book launch time was scheduled during his state visit to the US, so that it would attract larger media publicity. During a joint press address session in the White House, Musharraf mentioned his forthcoming book. This was viewed as a media stunt to create publicity.[9] Further it has been alleged in the Pakistani media that Musharraf deliberately embellished the book to increase sales.[10]
  • Later during an interview to the CNN, Musharraf backtracked on some of the claims mentioned in the book. To a question quoting the passage from his book ("Those who habitually accuse us of not doing enough in the war on terror should simply ask the CIA how much prize money it has paid to the Government of Pakistan."), he answered, "You know, I don't know whether this is to the Government of Pakistan. I don't think I wrote `the Government of Pakistan'."[11]
  • The Wall Street Journal published a scathing review in which it said, "The book is not so much an autobiography as a highly selective auto-hagiography, by turns self-congratulatory, narcissistic and mendacious...there's much the book doesn't tell us, it does offer invaluable (and frequently hilarious) insights into the levels of delusion that a man may reach when he is accountable to no one, elected by no one and trusted by no one. Self-preservation, here, becomes paramount--democracy be damned.".[12]
  • By penning his memoirs while still in office, Musharraf is emulating another military dictator of Pakistan, General Ayub Khan, as a strategy to sell it while in limelight. Ayub Khan wrote Friends, Not Masters while still in office.[13] The former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto has described the memoirs as a cheap attempt to gain popularity at the cost of Pakistan’s vital national interests. [14]
  • The book is believed to have been ghost written by Humayun Gauhar, the son of a Pakistani bureaucrat.[13] Mistake may have crept in because the editor in charge asked for rewrites to change the content and style.[15]
  • Ayaz Amir, a reputed Pakistani journalist and known for his critical views on the military’s involvement in Pakistani politics, says the book is a sellout of the nation’s pride for the sake of the author’s personal gain. The book is an embarrassment than revelation of any new facts.[16] Many media reports in Pakistan and abroad have panned the book for its inaccuracies and the attempt to portray himself as a saviour at the cost of showing Pakistan in poor light.[17]
  • The daughter of controversial Pakistani nuclear scientist AQ Khan has criticised claims made by President Pervez Musharraf in his autobiography. Khan was put under house arrest after admitting passing nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. In the book, Musharraf said that Khan sent a letter to his daughter, Dina, asking her to "go public on Pakistan's nuclear secrets" through British journalists, a claim which she vehemently denied as ludicrous.[18]
  • The references of the Kargil conflict-related contents have irked many around the world, including Pakistanis. The English version of the book has left out the number of Pakistani casualties, while the Hindi version lists Pakistani casualties numbering 357.[19] Its quoted that such remarks do little help in the on going dialogue between the two countries.[20] Even Pakistani authors have panned the book for turning a defeat in Kargil into a victory.[16] Pakistan opposition slammed the book as a "pack of lies" and a "national shame,"[21] while PML-N stated that it was the most contradicted book of any dictator.[22] Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif "[23] and foreign minister Sartaj Aziz [24] have both blasted the book as a "plethora of lies. Daily Times of Pakistan notes that Kargil blunder would take many years to rectify.[25]
  • The version of the Kargil war was also lambasted by a fellow Pakistani Army General Lt Gen Ali Quli Khan Khattak. In a hard hitting interview, he said that, "It was a disaster bigger than the East Pakistan tragedy," and disputed many claims that Musharaff gave in his book.[26] The Economist has been scathing in its reviews on the book, especially on the Kargil episode stating that he has failed to mention how thousands of Pakistani fighters were "slaughtered in a humiliating retreat."[27] It adds that contrary to his version that Kargil helped restore peace, Pakistan "was forced to the table by the drubbing it took there."[27]

[edit] Errors

Some of the factual/typographical errors in the book surfaced so far are:

  • Islambad ( instead of Islamabad)[28]
  • Iskander Mirza’s coup: Oct 8, 1958 (actually Oct 7) – p. 156
  • Ayub Khan’s coup: Oct 28, 1958 (actually Oct 27, 1958) – p. 156
  • Year of Benazir Bhutto’s second dismissal: 1997 (actually November 1996) – p.162
  • Census in Pakistan: 1997 (actually 1998) – p.169 [7]
  • Briton’s withdrawal announcement from India April 1947 (actually June 1947) – p.16 [29]
  • Indian PM Manmohan Singh as "Manmoham Singh" in the photo captions [30]
  • Former Pakistan PM Shaukat Aziz as "Shuakat"(p179) and twice as "Shaukut"(cover jacket flap and p232) [30]
  • "I had already appeared before the Inter Services Selection Board and been selected for the prestigious Pakistan Military Academy as a cadet before my final examinations for FA. After a three-year course, if successful, I would get my commission as an officer of the Pakistan Army. So I took my FSc finals somewhat nonchalantly and managed to get through." - p. 35 (Why did he take the FSc finals, when he was supposed to participate in the FA exams?)

[edit] In the news

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf drinking tea on The Daily Show to promote the book.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf drinking tea on The Daily Show to promote the book.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The 1965 war with Pakistan - Encyclopædia Britannica
  2. ^ Title: India and the United States estranged democracies, 1941-1991, ISBN 1-4289-8189-6, DIANE Publishing
  3. ^ Dialogue call amid fresh fighting - - BBC News
  4. ^ See the pages on Indo-Pakistani wars
  5. ^ Jacob, Sarah; P. Talwar (September 26, 2006). Musharraf's memoir a sellout. NDTV.
  6. ^ Naqvi, Jawed (September 26, 2006). Book makes waves in India. Dawn: The Internet Edition.
  7. ^ a b Thakoret, Vipul; HUMA Karachi (September 28, 2006). Self-respect is priceless. Dawn: The Internet Edition.
  8. ^ Pervez's trip to US cost Pakistan $1m. The Times of India (October 31, 2006).
  9. ^ President Bush and President Musharraf of Pakistan Participate in Press Availability. Office of the Press Secretary (September 22, 2006).
  10. ^ Pakistan press lukewarm on Musharraf book. BBC News (September 27, 2006).
  11. ^ Musharraf backtracks on statements. The Hindu (September 28, 2006).
  12. ^ Varadarajan, Tunku (Thursday, October 19, 2006). An 'Ally' With His Own Agenda. Wall Street Journal.
  13. ^ a b Adair, Gilbert (November 19, 2006). Article: Unusual suspect. Dawn: The Internet Edition.
  14. ^ Benazir accuses Musharraf of undermining security. Dawn: The Internet Edition (September 30, 2006).
  15. ^ Ved, Mahendra. Pen that fires. The Times of India.
  16. ^ a b Amir, Ayaz (September 29, 2006). In the line of embarrassment. Dawn: The Internet Edition.
  17. ^ Plett, Barbara (October 2, 2006). Musharraf book draws mixed response. BBC News.
  18. ^ Musharraf nuclear claims attacked. BBC News (October 2, 2006).
  19. ^ Samanta, Pranab (October 6, 2006). Musharraf now has Pak’s Kargil toll: 357. The Indian Express.
  20. ^ Jillani, Shahzeb. Will Musharraf's book reopen old wounds?. BBC News.
  21. ^ Pak Oppn slams Musharraf's book. DNA World (September 27, 2006).
  22. ^ Musharraf’s book most contradicted of any dictator says PML-N. Online: International News Network.
  23. ^ Nawaz terms Musharraf’s book “Plethora of Lies”. Online: International News Network.
  24. ^ Musharraf`s Kargil account not entirely true: Sartaj Aziz. Pak Tribune (October 03, 2006).
  25. ^ Hussain, Ijaz (November 08, 2006). Comment: Musharraf’s memoirs. Daily Times.
  26. ^ ‘Kargil a bigger disaster than East Pakistan’. DNA World (October 03, 2006).
  27. ^ a b Military misjudgment. The Economist (October 5, 2006).
  28. ^ India: Musharraf's Book Makes Waves. Adnkronos International (September 26, 2006).
  29. ^ Dossani, Omer; Rafiq-Ur-Rehman Baloch, M. Bajaj, Akber (September 29, 2006). In the Line of Fire. Dawn: The Internet Edition.
  30. ^ a b Pervez's memoir full of typos and bloopers: Publisher. The Times of India (October 7, 2006).

[edit] External links

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