Pakistan-U.S. Relations
Abstract
A stable, democratic, prosperous Pakistan is considered vital to U.S. interests. U.S. concerns regarding Pakistan include regional and global terrorism; Afghan stability; democratization and human rights protection; the ongoing Kashmir problem and Pakistan-India tensions; and economic development. A U.S.-Pakistan relationship marked by periods of both cooperation and discord was transformed by the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the ensuing enlistment of Pakistan as a key ally in U.S.-led counterterrorism efforts. Top U.S. officials regularly praise Pakistan for its ongoing cooperation, although doubts exist about Islamabad s commitment to some core U.S. interests. Pakistan is identified as a base for terrorist groups and their supporters operating in Kashmir, India, and Afghanistan. Since 2003, Pakistan s army has conducted unprecedented and largely ineffectual counterterrorism operations in the country s western tribal areas. Islamabad later shifted to a strategy of negotiation with the region s pro-Taliban militants (combined with longer-term economic and infrastructure development in the region), a tack that elicited scepticism in Western capitals and that has failed in its central purposes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 04, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA478264
Entities
People
- K. A. Kronstadt
Organizations
- Library of Congress