16.Dec.2009 at 16 | David Ucko
The role of Pakistan
This story in the Washington Post today, “Pakistan’s Zardari resists U.S. timeline for fighting insurgents“, provides a clear indication of why the Pakistan piece of the new Afghan strategy is likely to be such a headache and is very much worth the read.
It complements an article I came across earlier in the week: “The Unravelling of Pakistan“, by John R. Schmidt, published in Survival earlier this year. Schmidt lays out the typical reasons why Pakistan’s cooperation is essential to the United States’ efforts in Afghanistan, and to regional stability more broadly, but reminds us, through a compelling review of Pakistani political culture and the performance of the Pakistani political class since the founding of the state, that there are no real grounds for optimism on this front.
What I liked about the article is that it posits the behaviour of the Pakistani government within its national, historical and social context. For someone like myself – no expert on Pakistan – it also provided a useful illustration of the competing forces and interests that influence eventual Pakistani policy. Those of you with access to Survival can read the article here.
