Attention in the West has landed on Pakistan’s newly empowered military courts and what, if any, political sway the United States carries to press for the pursuit of anti-Indian terrorist groups that have long found safe haven in the country.
Dr. Joshua White, a former senior advisor on Asian and Pacific Security Affairs at the Pentagon, points out that while the US system of carrots and sticks has not worked particularly well in the past, certain options are still open. “Threatening Pakistan – or any country, for that matter – is rarely effective,” said White, who works now for The Stimson Center global security think tank. “That is not to say that the US Congress will not in the future condition certain assistance on whether Pakistan takes steps to limit the activities of groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba.”