ISSUES
National Security
To help bolster Pakistan’s national security (and in turn, make it easier for Pakistan to help America in the pursuit of shared goals), the U.S. should enact policies to help resolve Pakistan’s conflict with India over Kashmir, accept Pakistan as a nuclear power, improve Pakistan’s civilian law enforcement, and halt the U.S. military’s counterproductive drone attacks in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Policy Recommendations:
  • U.S. policy should place a new priority on resolving the conflict with India over Kashmir, and should include India in regional discussions of the issue. The conflict over Kashmir is at the heart of much of Pakistan and India’s history of hostility; helping to resolve this conflict will free up resources to devote to other aspects of Pakistan’s development.

  • The U.S. government should emphasize its acceptance of Pakistan’s status as a declared nuclear power. The U.S. should recognize that most Pakistanis see their nuclear program as a point of national pride, and should make clear that it has no intention of taking away Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.

  • Provide funding and training to help improve Pakistan’s police forces. Focusing on aid to civilian law enforcement – police officers instead of just the military – is an effective way for the U.S. to support Pakistan’s civilian government and strengthen the rule of law in Pakistan. (SEE: “Pakistan Can Defy the Odds: How to Rescue a Failing State” by Dr. Hassan Abbas, page 22, “Police and Law Enforcement Capacity.”)

  • Stop the drone attacks. The U.S. military has been using unmanned drone aircraft to target and kill terrorists and Taliban militants based in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) region of Pakistan. While some terrorists have been eliminated by this method, the drone attacks have resulted in extensive civilian casualties, creating anger and resentment among the Pakistani people. The drone attacks have been largely counterproductive, as the Taliban uses the attacks as a tool for propaganda and recruitment.

    The drone attacks may also be considered to be a violation of international law, as they compromise the border and the sovereignty of Pakistan. To be more effective in winning the “hearts and minds” of the people of Pakistan, the U.S. should focus instead on humanitarian aid for the people of the FATA region (which is one of the poorest places in Pakistan).

    A recent Pakistani TV show claimed that the U.S. drone attacks have killed 700 Pakistani civilians and only 14 Taliban and Al Qaeda militants – and referenced a U.S. report for the statistics. Whether or not the numbers are accurate, this indicates the challenge facing the U.S. in Pakistan – drone attacks are undermining U.S. credibility by eroding Pakistan’s sovereignty and reducing Pakistani public support for the U.S. in the struggle against terrorism.

  • “The use of drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal belt must be weighed against the political costs they impose on U.S.-Pakistan cooperation, not least the role they play in amplifying popular anti-Americanism in parts of Pakistan well beyond the areas bordering Afghanistan.” Daniel Markey, Council on Foreign Relations: “From AfPak to PakAf: A Response to the New U.S. Strategy for South Asia.” April 2009.