home > by publication type > daily analysis > Pakistan’s Balancing Act
Email
| Prepared by: |
|---|
Musharraf says he is pursuing Taliban militants, but critics say he is harboring them. (AP/Allauddin Khan)
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said during a recent New York visit that his is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Facing external pressure to be a major partner in the “war on terror” and internal pressure to resist Western influence, Musharraf must consistently pull off a delicate balancing act amid a tenuous security situation. But recent accusations suggest the scales have tipped too far to one side. Last month, the BBC published excerpts of a leaked report from a British military think tank alleging that Pakistan has been indirectly “supporting terrorism and extremism—whether in London on 7/7, or in Afghanistan, or Iraq.” Days later the police chief in Mumbai, India, claimed to have proof (Dawn) that Pakistan’s intelligence service, the ISI, planned the July 11 attacks on that city’s commuter rail system. In late September, Afghan President Hamid Karzai complained at a CFR meeting that he had provided Islamabad with the location of fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar’s hideout near Quetta, Pakistan, yet Musharraf took no action. A new Backgrounder examines the charges that the ISI is supporting terrorists.
Musharraf has spent the last several weeks fending off his critics. In a video interview with the BBC, he stressed the essential role his country plays. “Remember my words,” he said, “If the ISI is not with you and Pakistan is not with you, you will lose in Afghanistan.” But when questioned a few days later about Pakistani support for the Taliban on U.S. television, Musharraf acknowledged that some retired members of his intelligence services could be aiding the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.
On Saturday, Musharraf took an encouraging step, arresting nearly fifty suspected Taliban fighters (Hindu) on the outskirts of Quetta. Some experts are skeptical of Pakistan’s commitment to pursuing the Taliban, suggesting the arrests are simply a bid for a reprieve from criticism. NATO leaders have loudly condemned Pakistan (EurasiaNet)for what they see as clear ISI support of the Taliban, while pressing Western leaders to call Musharraf’s bluff. General David Richards, NATO’s commander in Afghanistan, traveled to Pakistan on Tuesday (BBC) to discuss the country’s role in fighting terrorism.
Allegations of duplicity have not played well in the Pakistani press. An editorial in The News, a Pakistani newspaper, cites “the significant number of casualties suffered by Pakistani forces and civilians, not to mention the damaging political fallout of supporting the war on terror,” as evidence that Musharraf is not “faking it.” One thing that is undeniable is that the Taliban has bounced back (Frontline), and poses a serious threat to the future security of Afghanistan. Speaking with CFR.org’s Bernard Gwertzman, Afghanistan expert Barnett R. Rubin says Pakistan’s support for the insurgency has pushed Afghanistan to “a potential tipping point.” A Backgrounder looks at what NATO is doing along the troublesome Afghan-Pakistani border.
Weigh in on this issue by emailing CFR.org.
In The Closing of the American Border, Edward Alden goes behind the scenes to tell the story of the Bush administration’s struggle to balance security and openness in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In Termites in the Trading System, Jagdish Bhagwati reveals how the rapid spread of preferential trade agreements endangers the world trading system.
America Between the Wars explores how the decisions and debates of the years between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Twin Towers shaped the events, arguments, and politics of the world we live in today.
Complete list of CFR Books.
This report argues that the United States must lead with domestic action on climate change and proposes a U.S. negotiating strategy for a global UN climate agreement that includes commitments from all major economies, while also promoting a less formal Partnership for Climate Cooperation that would focus the world's largest emitters on implementing aggressive emissions reductions.
This Task Force report examines changes in Latin America and in U.S. influence there, while taking account of the region's enduring importance to the United States. The Task Force offers an agenda for U.S. policy toward Latin America and identifies four critical areas that should provide the basis of a new U.S. approach.
About Independent Task Forces at CFR.
In this report, CFR Senior Fellow Michael A. Levi analyzes the potential use of deterrence in preventing terrorist groups from acquiring nuclear weapons and recommends a new approach to U.S. declaratory policy, as well as ways to improve U.S. capabilities to determine the sources of terrorist attacks.
In this report, Bruce W. MacDonald illuminates the strategic landscape of military space competition between the United States and China and highlights the dangers and opportunities the United States confronts in space.
Complete list of Council Special Reports.
“ The Latter-Day Sultan:” Akbar Ganji says that blaming Iran's problems on President Ahmadinejad inaccurately suggests that Iran's problems will go away when Ahmadinejad does.
To order Task Force reports, Council Special Reports, and Critical Policy Choices, please call, fax, or order online from our distributor, the Brookings Institution Press: phone +1.800.537.5487, fax +1.410.516.6998.
For information on other reports that are not for sale, or for general publications information, please call +1-212-434-9516 or email publications@cfr.org.
To request permission to reuse Council materials, please email publications@cfr.org or fax +1.212.434.9859.
Please include the complete information of the requested work—author, title, sections/pages to be copied or reprinted, and number of copies to be made—along with a brief description of where and how you would like to reuse the work.
You may also request permission for Council material through Copyright Clearance Center. For more information, please click on the link below.
Copyright 2008 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All Rights Reserved.
