On Aug. 1, local government officials in China's Xinjiang province alleged that the ringleader of a deadly attack in Kashgar had been trained in Pakistan. The accusation has injected some sourness into a bilateral relationship often described as "sweeter than honey." In fact, contrary to the sappy rhetoric, China-Pakistan ties have rarely been trouble-free -- and the points of tension long predate what happened in Kashgar. more
In the aftermath of Osama bin Laden's death, several observers pointed out an error made by U.S. news media: Abbottabad is not a suburb of Islamabad, but rather a garrison city located about 35 miles from the Pakistani capital. Though minor, the mistake is emblematic of a broader failure by Americans to understand Pakistan. With the U.S.-Pakistan relationship now in dire straits, these misconceptions must be exposed.
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In India's vibrant capital, food seems to be everywhere. But behind this apparent culinary prosperity lies rampant food insecurity. Food-related inflation in India soared above 18 percent in December,
and remains at nearly 12 percent. India is not alone in this story. Just a few years removed from the
2007-2008 global food crisis, the world is once again experiencing the
telltale drivers of acute food insecurity.
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Rampant conspiracy theories in Pakistan help drive the country's virulent anti-Americanism and present a challenge to Washington's current efforts to build goodwill in Pakistan through flood relief efforts. Observers attribute the omnipresence of such rumors to a variety of factors, from the abysmal state of education to the
fact that conspiratorial reportage sells. Yet it is important to acknowledge that Washington is at fault
as well. more
Theapparent unwillingness of governments to confront climate change at Copenhagen reflects an essential truth aboutpublic policy: The immediate always trumps the distant. Another vivid illustration of this mindset is the acquisition by foreign governments of vast tracts of farmland across the developing world in the name of food security. more
The success or failure of President Barack Obama's new
Afghanistan strategy will depend on numerous international factors, but few loom larger than Pakistan. However, Washington has little credibility and leverage in Pakistan, where mistrust of the U.S. runs high. Enter China. Pakistan's instability jeopardizes critical Chinese interests, and the time has never been more ripe for Beijing to lean on its longstanding ally. more
