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April 19th, 2024 | 6:12 PM ET

Pakistan: Friend and Foe?

Posted: March 29th, 2016

If you attend a Congressional hearing on the state of U.S.-Pakistan relations, you’ll probably hear one of the lawmakers refer to Pakistan as a “frenemy,” sometimes friend, sometimes enemy.   It is one of the more contentious relationships the United States has with a nation that is ultimately so critical to American and regional security.

Some of the concerns are longstanding, such as Pakistan’s tense standoff with India and its growing nuclear arsenal.  Others became more prominent following 9/11, as ungoverned regions of Pakistan transformed into safe havens for al Qaeda, the Taliban and other extremist groups.  Today, Pakistan is seen as key to ensuring that the Taliban sit down at the negotiating table with the Kabul government in hopes of ending the insurgency in Afghanistan.

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