By Madhusree Chatterjee 

New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) Pakistan is full of contradictions where several extremist groups are in rebellion, including those that target India, says noted British writer and analyst Anatol Lieven, describing the country as "Janus-faced".

"I think Pakistan is the most complex state. Several extremist groups are in rebellion inside Pakistan. While some groups target Afghanistan, India and the world, the international terrorists, Al Qaida, is based in Pakistan," Lieven told IANS in an e-mail interview from London.

His new book, "Pakistan: A Hard Country", published this month by Penguin Books in India, takes a look at the dynamics in Pakistan which has emerged as a country of huge importance in the past decade and one that is being pulled in different irreconcilable directions.

"If there is one phrase which defines many aspects of Pakistan and is central to the theme of the book, it is 'Janus-faced': in other words, many of the same features which are responsible for holding Islamic extremism in check are at one and the same time responsible for holding back Pakistan's social, economic and political development," Lieven .

"The anti-Shia extremists and the sectarian groups from Punjab add to considerable extremist presence in society; along with anti-India militants and the Taliban sheltered in tribal areas," he said.

However, the country was hard at work against militancy, said the professor of international relations and terrorism studies at the King's College in London.

Lieven said "he was in Swat in March, an area controlled by Pakistan Taliban where the military had pushed them back".

The author said: "Trying to understand Pakistan's internal structures and dynamics was complicated."

The two key differences between India and Pakistan are that the Indian economy is growing much faster than that of Pakistan and India despite being such a big country had a (strong) Constitution to keep it together, he said.

"India does not have a history of overthrowing the governments. The problem for democracy to strike roots in Pakistan is the domination of the property owning class which loots the state," Lieven said.

Commenting on the future of ties between Pakistan and US, Lieven said after the May 2 killing of Osama bin Laden by American forces, "they will need each other for intelligence against terrorists even though relations between the two countries have deteriorated further".

"Cooperation with Pakistan is important for the US, and Pakistan on its side will need goodwill and aid from the US and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)," he added.

Lieven said, "The current condition could lead to a terrorist attack on the US."
"The US would greatly extend its presence through drone attacks in Pakistan and could even launch a ground attack," he said.

He said "most people in Pakistan do not support the alliance with the US". "Opinions in the US (among the people) are also hostile against Pakistan."

"India could take the opportunity (the situation after Osama bin Laden's death) to increase its presence in Pakistan "to prevent Pakistan-based terrorists from attacking India like the 26/11 strikes in Mumbai," Lieven said.

The writer, who has travelled extensively in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, and has reported from the sector, had earlier authored "Chechnya: Tombstone of Russian Power" and "America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism".

He also co-authored "Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World" with John Hulsman.