Max Boot says the United States should not let fear of reaction deter it from dealing with the menace Pakistan poses.

According to the Washington Post, both Pakistan and the United States are playing a double game of strategy regarding diplomatic and military relations in Afghanistan.

The fourth White House Quarterly Report on Afghanistan and Pakistan was released in September 2011. President Obama's letter accompanying the report states,

"This report covers the period from January 1, 2011, through June 30, 2011. To the extent possible, the report also provides an assessment through August 31, 2011. Events continue to evolve since that time, for example in our relationship with Pakistan, but these developments fall outside the scope of this report. As I noted in my remarks on the way forward in Afghanistan on June 22, we have seen great progress in our fight against al-Qa'ida; we have reversed the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan; and we continue to see progress in training the Afghan National Security Forces. This will allow us in the coming year to fully recover the 33,000 U.S. troop surge I announced at West Point in December 2009. Beyond that change, we continue to implement the strategy and do not believe further modifications or adjustments to the metrics, resources, or authorities are required at this time. Huge challenges remain, and this is the beginning -- but not the end -- of our effort to wind down this war."

This report considers the future of Pakistan from a variety of perspectives, seeing radicalization, reform, and fragmentation as three likely courses of development.

A strong statement from outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Michael Mullen, signaled that "Washington is launching a full-court press to show that it will no longer sit idly by while terrorist groups, abetted by the ISI, kill Americans and their allies in Afghanistan," writes CFR senior fellow Daniel Markey in a recent op-ed. Listen Pakistan expert Markey, and counterterrorism expert Ed Husain discuss the "escalating bout" between the United States and Pakistan.

CFR fellows Daniel Markey and Ed Husain discuss the implications of a tougher U.S. policy toward Pakistan on counterterrorism cooperation, on the war in Afghanistan and the future of the region.

Pakistan has emerged as a terrorist sanctuary for some of the world's most violent groups, including al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and homegrown militants, that threaten the stability of Pakistan as well as the region.

The United States has effectively issued an ultimatum to Islamabad implying greater unilateral action against Pakistan-based extremist groups, but Washington must be prepared to act on it, says CFR's Daniel Markey.

Daniel Markey says tough talk is not enough as the United States places demands on Islamabad to deal with the Haqqani network.

The New Yorker's Dexter Filkins describes the career and death of Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad, who reported on the presence of Islamist extremism in the Pakistani military and intelligence institutions.

Ten years after 9/11, author Ahmed Rashid discusses U.S. foreign policy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and why wars in the region cannot be won purely by military force.

James Dobbins and James J. Shinn, coauthors of Afghan Peace Talks: A Primer, discuss the relationships between al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as the obstacles and possible outcomes of peace negotiations.

Pakistan's arrest of senior al-Qaeda leaders signals renewed cooperation with the United States. But experts stress both sides have to work harder to tackle issues such as Pakistan's relations with militant groups and U.S. objectives in Afghanistan.

This memo assesses the repercussions of a Pakistan-based terrorist attack on the United States and recommends responses for U.S. decision-makers.

As ethno-political violence continues in Pakistan's financial capital, Pakistani analyst Mosharraf Zaidi says the city needs a more effective police force and judicial system, which in turn will engender investor confidence globally.

A profile of the international terrorist network that the United States has singled out as the most serious threat to U.S. security.

This brief by the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Jinnah Institute in Pakistan, summarizes the perceptions of Pakistani foreign policy elite about Pakistan's strategy and interests in Afghanistan, its view of the impending "end game," and the implications of its policies towards Afghanistan for the U.S.- Pakistan relationship.

The FBI's arrest of Ghulam Nabi Fai on charges of acting as a Pakistani agent to lobby U.S. policymakers on Kashmir may worsen the countries' already troubled relationship, says CFR's Daniel Markey.

Colin Cookman, Brian Katulis, Sarah Margon, and Caroline Wadhams of the Center for American Progress look at ways to streamline aid to Pakistan while making it more effective.

Orin Levine and Laurie Garrett argue that the CIA's staged vaccination program in Pakistan, used to locate Osama bin Laden, has damaged the credibility of legitimate global health efforts.