Asia

Pakistan

  • Terrorism and Counterterrorism
    Terrorism and Indo-Pakistani Escalation
    Overview India faces the real prospect of another major terrorist attack by Pakistan-based terrorist organizations in the near future, an event that would jeopardize important U.S. security interests in South Asia. This Center for Preventive Action Contingency Planning Memorandum by Daniel Markey examines the factors that would condition India’s response; the consequences of Indian military retaliation and Pakistani counterretaliation for the United States; and Washington’s policy options for preventing and containing the crisis. Markey concludes that a terrorist attack is unlikely to trigger a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan. He argues that U.S. efforts to prevent an Indo-Pakistani crisis should combine a range of counterterror tactics with measures that increase Washington’s ability to limit escalation by either side.
    Contingency Planning Memorandum by Daniel S. Markey January 13, 2010 Center for Preventive Action
  • Pakistan
    Coming up Short on Pakistan
    President Obama says Pakistan is crucial to the success of the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan. But five Pakistani experts argue the Pakistan part of Obama’s strategy is flawed.
    Expert Roundup by Ahmed Rashid, Hassan Abbas, Maleeha Lodhi, Hasan-Askari Rizvi and Shuja Nawaz December 11, 2009
  • Pakistan
    Obama’s Withdrawal Date a Controversial Gambit
    CFR’s top defense policy expert Stephen Biddle says President Obama’s announcement of a date for U.S. forces to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan could draw fire from wary Democrats, but also conveys that the U.S. "is uncomfortable with long stays."
    Interview with Stephen Biddle and Bernard Gwertzman December 1, 2009
  • Pakistan
    The al-Qaeda-Taliban Nexus
    The threat posed by the al-Qaeda-Taliban relationship is a crucial element in U.S. strategic planning in Afghanistan. Four experts explore the changing nature of these sometimes murky ties.
    Expert Roundup by Richard Barrett, Sajjan Gohel, Ronald E. Neumann and Nigel Inkster November 24, 2009
  • Defense and Security
    The Danger of Delay in Afghan Policymaking
    The coordinator of President Barack Obama’s original Afghan policy, Bruce Riedel, says political and security changes in Afghanistan and "sticker shock" in Washington have contributed to delays in carrying out a new U.S. military strategy.
    Interview with Bruce O. Riedel and Bernard Gwertzman October 8, 2009
  • Congresses and Parliaments
    Pakistan: Beyond the War on Terror
    Play
    Join Minister Qureshi for a discussion of U.S.-Pakistan relations and to examine critical political, economic, and security issues in the region. 
    Event with Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Judy Woodruff October 7, 2009
  • Pakistan
    Pakistan’s Education System and Links to Extremism
    Pakistan’s poor public education system has been exploited by extremist groups and slowed the country’s development. Analysts say education reform is an essential element in stabilizing the country.
    Backgrounder by Jayshree Bajoria October 7, 2009
  • Congresses and Parliaments
    Pakistan: Beyond the War on Terror
    Play
    Watch Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan's minister of foreign affairs, examine U.S.-Pakistan relations and critical political, economic, and security issues in the region.
    Event October 7, 2009
  • Pakistan
    ’This Is No Longer a War of Necessity’
    Richard Haass considers new approaches to the war in Afghanistan and emphasizes the importance of Pakistan is curtailing terrorism.
    Interview with Richard Haass and Spiegel Online October 2, 2009
  • Pakistan
    Covering ’One Of The Most Frightening Places On Earth’
    As part of the Edward R. Murrow 60th Anniversary initiative current and former fellows discuss the stories that have had the most impact and present ideas for sustaining serious international journalism. Former fellow Marry Anne Weaver discusses the emergence of Pakistan as a hot-bed for terrorism and the lapse in U.S. foreign policy that partially caused this emergence. For more on the initiative, visit cfr.org/murrow.
    Interview with Mary Anne Weaver September 16, 2009
  • Pakistan
    U.S. Air Strikes in Pakistan "Ineffective"
    CFR Fellow Micah Zenko says U.S. air strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas are ineffective as a counterinsurgency tool. He recommends that Washington create oversight mechanisms for its covert operations in the tribal areas and develop a comprehensive national strategy toward Pakistan.
    Interview with Micah Zenko and Jayshree Bajoria August 11, 2009
  • Trade
    India-Afghanistan Relations
    India’s growing economic and political influence in Afghanistan has angered Pakistan, the traditional power there, and has experts worried that Afghanistan could become another battleground in the long-standing rivalry between South Asia’s two giants.  
    Backgrounder by Jayshree Bajoria July 22, 2009
  • Pakistan
    Realigning Pakistan’s Security Forces
    Washington is focusing new military aid to Pakistan on strengthening counterinsurgency capabilities. But distrust between the two countries and Islamabad’s continued focus on an Indian threat pose challenges, say experts.
    Backgrounder by Jayshree Bajoria June 17, 2009
  • Human Rights
    Pakistan’s Humanitarian Crisis
    Pakistan’s aggressive military campaign against the Taliban in the country’s northwest has left over a million people displaced. Michael Young, Pakistan representative for the International Rescue Committee, says displaced populations themselves could become a source of unrest for an already fragile state.
    Interview with Michael Young and Jayshree Bajoria May 13, 2009
  • Afghanistan
    Building Trust Among Anti-Taliban Allies
    Beyond the immediate pledges of support that emerged from the U.S.-Afghan-Pakistan summit, President Barack Obama should convey a long-term U.S. commitment to the region to sustain the trust of his partners, says CFR’s Daniel Markey.  
    Interview with Daniel S. Markey and Jayshree Bajoria May 7, 2009