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Fri, Dec 9th 2011, 19:14

Erica Mukherjee, NYU, Silver Contributor (51)

Mr. Neumann's article suggests that the only way to win in Afghanistan is to destroy our relationship with Pakistan. His suggestion that we step up airstrikes on insurgent bases on Pakistani soil while continuing to offer aid and assistance to the Pakistani government reads as a recipe for a coup, something in which the Pakistani military has demonstrated proficiency.

The most crucial gap in the article is the articulation of the difference between the Pakistani government and the Pakistani military. Mr. Neumann sees them similar enough to use the words interchangeably. In reality, there is a wide rift between the civilian government and the military establishment. In many instances the goals of these two organizations are diametrically opposed; it is conjectured that much of the time the government isn't even aware of all the military's actions. Through into this equation the notoriously opaque ISI and Mr. Neumann's recommendation for combining a bombing campaign with increased financial aid appears to be nothing less than disastrous.

Unfortunately, I do not have a cure-all for this intractable conflict. If the US wants Pakistan’s trust and cooperation in eradicating insurgents on the Afghani border, however, they need to engage with both the government and the military. In today’s Pakistan the power lies, for better or worse, with the military’s guns.

Wed, Dec 14th 2011, 20:16

Andrea Aquino, NYU, Bronze Contributor (23)

The biggest issue that I have with this article is its emphasis on US policy, which of course is important, but I feel that it promotes US policy with a strong disregard and disrespect for international law. "The US should go directly after militant sanctuaries, regardless of which side of the border they are on." How can this feasibly be suggested to the US as an option, when there would be a monumental backlash and set terrible precedent amongst the international community. As Erica said, it is near impossible for even the best policy makers to find a cure-all for an intractable conflict. But I also don't think the idea of cure-alls exist. The best approaches are multifaceted and don't use one type of medium for success, strictly force or strictly politics. Forcing anyone's hand has never been a sustainable solution to solving a problem, as such foreign relations and appropriate inclusiveness in negotiations are imperative when looking toward the start of a constructive solution.

Mon, Jan 23rd 2012, 11:13

Talha Bin Tariq, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan, Gold Contributor (102)

The relationship between pakistan & USA is not easy to maintain ..
they don't have friendly enough foreign policy and deployment towards each other


Regards,
Talha Bin Tariq