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Morning Open Thread: “this is not just a military problem” |
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When Pakistan’s civilian government came to power last month, the U.S. State Department immediately sent representatives to ensure Pakistan’s commitment to the U.S.-led “war on terror”. While the government pledges its commitment to fighting extremism, it will not simply rubberstamp American policies as Musharraf may have done in the past.
Though Pakistan’s recent decision to talk to militants may run in the face of America’s cone code of silence, it looks like the government’s determination might lead to the turning over of a new leaf in the “war on terror”. As Pakistan’s Dawn reports:
US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher has said that the United States has nothing against Pakistan pursuing a political approach to combating terrorism, if the military option is not taken off the shelf.
Mr Boucher acknowledged that a military approach alone was not enough to deal with violent extremism, which needed a combination of security, economic and political approaches to resolve.
. . .
On Pakistan’s policy to engage the militants, Mr Boucher said: “They are going to talk to them, I mean, but they’re going to talk to the tribes to try to get the tribes on their side against the extremists. And let’s face it; this is not just a military problem.“We’ve always said and the Pakistani government has always said you need to have a political context for people to reach peace, you have to have an economic context for them – to get people jobs instead of guns.â€
The US, he said, did not have anything against the political context, but people have to be clear.
The outcomes will not be immediate and patience will be necessary, but it looks like Pakistan may be on the right track. But for how long will Pakistan sustain this path before derailment? And what makes the civilian-led government so sure it will accomplish the objectives neither Musharraf nor the U.S. could?
What are the biggest obstacles Pakistan faces in the coming months? This is an open thread. Share your thoughts below.
