Dawn : US think tank report faults Pakistani military

US think tank report faults Pakistani military

WASHINGTON | July 11, 2007

Pakistan bears responsibility for worsening security in South Asia, and its powerful military is the core of the problem, according to study released Tuesday by a U.S. think tank.

Frederic Grare of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a leading scholar on South Asia and former French diplomat in Pakistan, recommended that in addition to providing billions of dollars in aid, the United States should also be willing to impose sanctions when Islamabad fails to meet its commitments, as he said it has done in key areas.

“This report makes the case that the Pakistani state bears responsibility for the worsening security situation in Afghanistan, the resurgence of the Taliban, terrorism in Kashmir and the growth of jihadi ideology and capabilities internationally,” Grare wrote.

“At the core of the problem is the Pakistani military...,” the study said.

Grare called for a new U.S. strategy designed to encourage Pakistanis, and especially the military, to restore civilian government according to the country's constitution. (Posted @ 10:00 PST)