Pak to prove greatest challenge for Obama: Experts
Islamabad, Dec 19: Washington's approach towards Islamabad needs a rethinking, according to a bipartisan group of American experts on Pak-US relations. Experts expect that Pakistan would prove to be the single greatest foreign policy and national security challenge for President-elect Barack Obama.
Richard Armitage, former US Representative and Co-Chair of the 9/11 Commission, has warned that due to intensifying political, economic and security crisis in Pakistan, American interests were more threatened.
New ideas to the next US administration on managing The United States and Pakistan will be offered by the report called 'The Next Chapter'. The 54-page report was launched at a ceremony in the US Embassy on Thursday, Dec 18 with a strong message that there was little time for the Americans to waste and their options in Pakistan were diminishing rapidly.
"Making
progress
in
the
US-Pakistan
relationship
will
take
a
Herculean
effort,"
the
report
says.
Pakistan
would
remain
central
in
US
security
strategy
because
of
the
country's
nuclear
arsenal;
insurgency
in
tribal
areas
and
parts
of
settled
areas
of
NWFP;
and
the
ongoing
war
in
Afghanistan.
The
report
points
out
that
because
of
these
reasons
the
US
cannot
afford
to
see
Pakistan
fail.
US
needs
to
exercise
patience
with
Pakistan
and
be
modest
in
its
expectations,
while
being
prepared
for
a
long
term
effort,
the
report
said.
ANI