"The status quo is not working: the United States believes it is paying too much and getting too little - and most Pakistanis believe exactly the opposite." – Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Richard Lugar, May 4, 2009

"The internal threat to Pakistan today from extremists is more severe than anything Pakistan has witnessed in 60 years of its existence." –
Dr. Hassan Abbas, “Pakistan Can Defy the Odds: How to Rescue a Failing State,” May 2009

What can the U.S. do to help Pakistan become a more stable, secure and peaceful country? While the future of Pakistan is ultimately in the hands of the Pakistani people, there are several foreign policy changes that the U.S. should make in order to demonstrate better understanding of Pakistan’s fundamental challenges, and to be more effective in addressing the problems.