International Issues Forum

The International Issues Forum is an interest group in Atlanta, USA. The group is formed of academics, professionals, and laypersons interested in international issues. These individuals meet weekly to discuss topical issues and areas. Here's the latest material from this group on our Pakistan:


This week's IIF discussion will center on one of our major allies in the war against terrorism, Pakistan, and its controversial president, Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999, and became President in a controversial election in 2002. His five-year term ends this October and he says he needs to remain in office "to follow through on initiatives begun during his presidency."

The U.S. has continued to back Musharraf, calling him "a key ally in the war on terrorism." However, last year, Musharraf made a deal with tribal chiefs in western Pakistan to give them a high degree of autonomy if they would crack down on al-Qaida and the Taliban in the region, which borders Afghanistan. But many critics, including Afghan President Hamid Karzai, say that the arrangement has given the Taliban sanctuary, instead.

On the domestic scene, more controversy. Opposition leaders have questioned whether Musharraf should hold on to his position as commander-in-chief of the army. And protests continue over the Musharraf's decision to remove the country's chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, allegedly for political reasons.

All of this should give us plenty to talk about Thursday evening.

As usual, I am sending along some background information:
This Backgrounder from the Council on Foreign Relations gives an excellent overview of the current situation in Pakistan:
Backgrounder: Pakistan's Political Future
And here is a link to other items from the CFR web site:
All on Pakistan

The NewsHour on PBS aired this interview with Pakistan's foreign minister last week:
Pakistan Faces Political, Security Challenges

Hot off the presses, here is an article by Daniel Markey that appears in the brand new issue of Foreign Affairs:
A False Choice in Pakistan

Here are two good op/ed pieces, the first from The Wall Street Journal, and the second from the International Herald Tribune:
Commentary: The Musharraf Dilemma
Depersonalizing relations with Pakistan

Here is a link to a program on the PBS series Frontline about the Taliaban using areas in western Pakistan as sanctuary:
Return of the Taliban

From The Economist, here is a link to the Country Briefing on Pakistan, which has links to recent articles:
Country Briefing: Pakistan
Some articles from The Economist are "premium content," which requires that you log in to receive them. When you are asked for an e-mail address and password, use my e-mail address, c-r-h@mindspring.com, and the password "charlie," and you should be able to get them. If this does not work, let me know by return e-mail, and I will send you the articles you want, either as zip files or as regular attachments, whichever you prefer.

Finally, here are four recent reports dealing with Pakistan from the Congressional Research Service:
Pakistan: Significant Recent Events
Pakistan and Terrorism: A Summary
Pakistan: A Chronology of Recent Events
Pakistan-U.S. Relations
Events in Pakistan in the near future are likely to have repercussions the world over. Come join us at Villa Thursday evening for an interesting and informative discussion.

CRH
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