Kashmir is the focal point of an acute regional dispute that has pitted India and Pakistan against one another ever since they gained their independence from Great Britain in 1947. Already, these bitter rivals have gone to war twice over Kashmir leaving the state physically divided and heavily militarized. The reasons for and possible resolutions of this dispute are the themes of Wirsing's book Drawing on repeated field visits and wide-ranging interviews with government officials, political leaders, military officers and diplomats in both India and Pakistan, the author provides abundant new...

This timely study examines the Indian-Pakistani conflict over Kashmir as this long-standing confrontation between regional rivals became inflamed. It focuses on the period from the effective nuclearization of the dispute in 1998 to the introduction of U.S. troops into the region in connection with the war in Afghanistan. Four chapters take on key problems illustrated by this case: Regional rivalry, Intervention, Religious conflicts, Conflict resolution. The author is an advocate of international intervention in regional conflicts and does not think that leaving the contesting parties to...