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Keys to Securing Pakistan

By Tim Roemer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

A month ago, I was preparing to board a flight from Kuwait to Pakistan when I received an urgent e-mail. Our destination, the Marriott in Islamabad, had been demolished by a truck bomb.

I thought back to 2001, when I was in Congress and al-Qaeda attacked the United States. Later, I served on the 9/11 Commission to determine how to prevent future attacks. My trip to Islamabad was in service to the same cause as a member of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, established by last year's 9/11 legislation.

The bombing gave us a firsthand lesson on the instability of Pakistan, a country vital to our success in Afghanistan and the global war on terror.

The 9/11 Commission noted that "it is hard to overstate the importance of Pakistan in the struggle against Islamist terrorism." Over the last several years, the importance of Pakistan has been more overlooked than overstated.

It's time to develop a strategically comprehensive stance toward Pakistan, dealing simultaneously with three areas of policy.

First, we must understand the tension between the Pakistani government and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas that it has woefully neglected. Seven years after the 9/11 attacks originated partly from these areas, they remain rife with terrorist training camps. Our intelligence and defense leaders have acknowledged this, and so must our next president.

The 9/11 Commission talked about an "agenda of opportunity" that would focus on education, literacy, reconstruction and economic opportunity. We must do a better job of working with the Pakistani government to promote this in the tribal areas and the rest of the country.

Pakistani prosperity could provide a positive way forward for youths who might otherwise be tempted by the siren call of extremism. But recent reports suggest Pakistan's economy is in a dangerous downward spiral.

Second, we must address Pakistan's region, working to defuse long-standing tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Both governments have a stake in wresting control of their territories from al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

We also must address the tension between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. For generations, this issue has fueled extremism and served as a central source of friction between two nuclear states. Resolving this dispute would allow them to focus more on sustainable development and less on armed conflict.

Third, we need to harness the energy of the international community to resolve security issues in the region. Part of the Taliban and al-Qaeda resurgence in the tribal areas is tied to an influx of foreign fighters. We need to develop more effective counterterrorism policies with the countries from which these fighters are migrating.

The 9/11 Commission strongly recommended a new international coalition to develop strategy in this area. The next administration must redouble those efforts. The United States must engage the world to bring peace and stability to South Asia.