The Atlantic Council's recent event on US foreign assistance to Pakistan kicked off a new round of discussion about US-Pakistan relations, which should gain momentum as we approach the Strategic Dialogue expected later this year. Anchored in the context of the country's recent elections and prospects for regional stability, the discussion included remarks by senior officials in the State Department, USAID, and the National Security Council as well as experts from think tanks and civil society organizations.
As CGD President Nancy Birdsall commented after speaking on the panel, the discussion "illustrated the calm that has set in after many stormy years" in US-Pakistan relations. She stated that some credit was due to the recent historic democratic transition in Pakistan, which released pressure on the Washington-Islamabad relationship. She also described a switch inside the US government, which has moved away from "reactive, near-panic" responses to events in Pakistan and embraced programs that are "less exciting and visible but more practical and forward-looking," with a focus on finding ways for the US government to support the civilian government in Pakistan.
The remarks at the event had a tone of cautious optimism, with frequent references to the importance of security and stabilization. Ambassador James Dobbins, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, shared his belief that that the US and Pakistani bet on democracy and good civilian governance was beginning to pay off. Donald "Larry" Sampler, USAID's Acting Assistant to the Administrator in the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs (OAPA), spoke about alignments and opportunities for the US government to bolster Pakistani ...
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