CIAO DATE: 06/2011
May 2011
U.S.-Pakistan relations are on the brink after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in a military garrison town near Islamabad. In this Policy Innovation Memorandum, Daniel S. Markey argues that Washington should move quickly to convert the post-bin Laden crisis into an opportunity to create a more effective working partnership with Islamabad that will serve U.S. interests over the short and long run. Washington should focus its efforts on securing reforms that purge Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence directorate (ISI) of officers or sections suspected of providing support to extremists. To do so effectively, the United States should adopt an indirect approach that leverages the power of influential Pakistanis, the credible threat of curtailed U.S. assistance to Pakistan and U.S. sanctions, pressure from Pakistan's closest allies, and the hard edge of U.S. military force in Afghanistan.
Resource link: Next Steps for Pakistan Strategy [PDF] - 62K