Pakistan’s support to insurgents must end
Pakistan hasn’t quit its practice of supporting insurgents, and extremist networks still pose a significant risk to the US and to Pakistan’s government, claims a recent report.
A report by US-based think tank RAND Corporation states that the growing threat of terror plots in the US, and increasing instability in Pakistan, is caused by unsuccessful US strategy and unwillingness on the Pakistani government’s side to effectively counter militancy.
The report says bomb plots like Faisal Shahzad’s failed attempt to attack Times Square are examples of how militant groups, some with government backing, can export terrorism beyond Pakistan’s borders.
RAND is a non-profit study group frequently hired by the Pentagon. The report was produced by a division of RAND that receives Pentagon funding, but was not specifically commissioned by the government.
The report details how Pa-kistan has had a history of supporting insurgents, considering militants to be a “tool of foreign policy.”
The report stresses that the US must continue encouraging Pakistan to abandon militancy as a tool of foreign policy, but cautions that this will not happen immediately. It says US policymakers need to work with Islamabad to establish a timeline with measurable benchmarks for success, and should create an enforcement mechanism through intelligence collection.
Authors Seth G Jones and C Christine Fair allege that the US is not getting its money’s worth for all the aid its pumps into Pakistan, and suggests that Washington needs to re-evaluate the “carrot and stick” method it employs in its policy related to Pakistan.
The report suggests that military aid should be withheld until Pakistan meets US objectives successfully, and says that incentives like F-16s should be withheld until progress is made.
The report also says the US has not understood Pakistan’s insecurities adequately. It states that the US needs to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty and recognise considerable anti-Americanism still exists among some Pakistanis.
The report highlights the Pakistan Army’s accusations that the US repeatedly changes its demands— telling Pakistan to do “more.” Doing more should not be the US mantra, the document states. However, there should be clear definitions of what the end game should be, especially in terms of cutting ties to militant groups.
The report also states that the US would benefit from ‘decreasing dependence’ on Pakistan. It says that seeking additional alternate land routes for resupplying the war in Afghanistan could be helpful. One alternative would be a route through Iran, the report said.
US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan was in Pakistan on June 19, and said the world appreciated Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on extremism.
“But it doesn’t mean that we’ve reached the end of the road. This is a tough, long struggle and much more needs to be done,” he said. “We are discussing real policy issues and how to work together to advance our common agenda.”
Holbrooke also pledged $11.1 million in humanitarian assistance for Pakistanis stricken by conflict in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
However, other US officials have taken different stances in recent months, notably Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, when she urged Pakistan to do more to eradicate militancy or face consequences.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2010.
A report by US-based think tank RAND Corporation states that the growing threat of terror plots in the US, and increasing instability in Pakistan, is caused by unsuccessful US strategy and unwillingness on the Pakistani government’s side to effectively counter militancy.
The report says bomb plots like Faisal Shahzad’s failed attempt to attack Times Square are examples of how militant groups, some with government backing, can export terrorism beyond Pakistan’s borders.
RAND is a non-profit study group frequently hired by the Pentagon. The report was produced by a division of RAND that receives Pentagon funding, but was not specifically commissioned by the government.
The report details how Pa-kistan has had a history of supporting insurgents, considering militants to be a “tool of foreign policy.”
The report stresses that the US must continue encouraging Pakistan to abandon militancy as a tool of foreign policy, but cautions that this will not happen immediately. It says US policymakers need to work with Islamabad to establish a timeline with measurable benchmarks for success, and should create an enforcement mechanism through intelligence collection.
Authors Seth G Jones and C Christine Fair allege that the US is not getting its money’s worth for all the aid its pumps into Pakistan, and suggests that Washington needs to re-evaluate the “carrot and stick” method it employs in its policy related to Pakistan.
The report suggests that military aid should be withheld until Pakistan meets US objectives successfully, and says that incentives like F-16s should be withheld until progress is made.
The report also says the US has not understood Pakistan’s insecurities adequately. It states that the US needs to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty and recognise considerable anti-Americanism still exists among some Pakistanis.
The report highlights the Pakistan Army’s accusations that the US repeatedly changes its demands— telling Pakistan to do “more.” Doing more should not be the US mantra, the document states. However, there should be clear definitions of what the end game should be, especially in terms of cutting ties to militant groups.
The report also states that the US would benefit from ‘decreasing dependence’ on Pakistan. It says that seeking additional alternate land routes for resupplying the war in Afghanistan could be helpful. One alternative would be a route through Iran, the report said.
US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan was in Pakistan on June 19, and said the world appreciated Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on extremism.
“But it doesn’t mean that we’ve reached the end of the road. This is a tough, long struggle and much more needs to be done,” he said. “We are discussing real policy issues and how to work together to advance our common agenda.”
Holbrooke also pledged $11.1 million in humanitarian assistance for Pakistanis stricken by conflict in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
However, other US officials have taken different stances in recent months, notably Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, when she urged Pakistan to do more to eradicate militancy or face consequences.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2010.