CIAO DATE: 02/2014
January 2014
As U.S. and coalition forces prepare to draw down troops in Afghanistan, this new report urges Washington to view Pakistan not solely or even principally in the context of U.S.-Afghanistan policy, but rather to reorient the relationship toward Asia. "A U.S. strategy for Asia that does not contemplate Pakistan's role is incomplete, and a U.S. strategy for Pakistan that primarily considers its role in the context of Afghanistan is shortsighted," writes the report's author, Daniel S. Markey, CFR senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia. The report, Reorienting U.S. Pakistan Strategy: From Af-Pak to Asia, outlines a two-pronged approach to future U.S. policy for Pakistan: defend against security threats, and support Pakistan's economic growth and normalized relations with its neighbors. Markey recommends that the United States: launch a new diplomatic dialogue with China, India, and Pakistan to reduce prospects for regional tension and violence; sign a trade deal that also encourages trade between India and Pakistan; reallocate assistance in Pakistan to improve trade and transit infrastructure; and integrate Pakistan into East and South Asia policymaking across the State Department, National Security Council, and Department of Defense, and deemphasize the Af-Pak connection.
Resource link: Reorienting U.S. Pakistan Strategy: From Af-Pak to Asia [PDF] - 2.5M