November 1, 2003 ☼ Foreign Affairs
This is an archived blog post from The Acorn.
CFR Press Release and a link to the report.
Extract from the Executive Summary.
Pakistan presents one of the most complex and difficult challenges facing U.S. diplomacy anywhere in the world today. Its political instability, entrenched Islamist extremism, economic and social weaknesses, and dangerous confrontation with India have cast dark shadows over the nuclear-armed nation. Even though Pakistan offers valuable help in rooting out al-Qaeda remnants, it has failed to prevent Islamist terrorists from using its territory as a base for armed attacks on Kashmir and Afghanistan. The United States has a major stake in a stable Pakistan at peace with itself and its neighbors and should be prepared to provide substantial assistance toward this end. The extent of U.S. assistance, however, should be calibrated with Islamabad’s own performance and conduct.
- Congress should authorize the Bush administration proposal for $3 billion in economic and security assistance for the five years starting with FY 2005. This package should, however, be revised so that it includes more economic and less security aid. Instead of the 50-50 split that the Bush administration wants, two thirds of U.S. aid should go for economic and social programs and only one-third for security assistance.
Assistance above a baseline level ($300 million annually over five years for a total of $1.5 billion) should be conditioned on Pakistan’s progress in implementing economic and political reforms, barring the use of its territory to sustain insurgencies against its neighbors, and fulfilling nonproliferation responsibilities.
The United States should also ease restrictions on Pakistani textile imports into the United States and avoid new barriers after the multifiber agreement comes into effect in 2005.
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