What Do About Pakistan Foreign Policy

Policy Proposal

The book I chose Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan is about the following countries and their foreign policies in relation to one another. Ahmed Rashid, the author, discusses the state of Pakistan and Afghanistan today and what Pakistan and Afghanistan should do about its domestic policies. Many times the author focuses on the deteriorating relationship between American and Pakistan and proposes possible solutions on how to restore their relationship.

According to Rashid, Pakistan and Afghanistan have the largest impact on the world’s security in relation to any other place (pg. xix). For this reason he believes that the United States needs to reassess its foreign policy towards these two nations. However though his prime focus is on Pakistan, he feels that he cannot address the issues of Pakistan without also acknowledging relations with Afghanistan. In view of the fact that the issues of these two nations are much too tangled on several levels. Nonetheless he believes that the cornerstone country in the region should ultimately be Pakistan (Rashid, pg.14). His bases on what the U.S. should do with Pakistan is to have less militarized relations and a stronger diplomatic relationship with Pakistan. His key suggestion toward Afghanistan is that there needs to be an orderly withdrawal out of Afghanistan and a talking relationship with the Taliban.

First and foremost before United States can address its relationship with Pakistan or Afghanistan, it must be united on all levels in its efforts towards both countries. He arrives to this direction when stating that by not being a team it can be dangerous in that Afghan and Pakistani leaders will be aware of these vulnerabilities and used to their advantage (pg. 93). Rashid states that Obama and his administration have failed at acting as a team which, “has resulted in contradictory policies [and] intense political fighting” (pg.xviii). He uses Admiral Mike...