Afghanistan and Pakistan: Uneasy Neighbors

NEW YORK, February 14, 2008 - Bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which have been historically tense, are currently even more on edge as these uneasy neighbors struggle to address the scourge of global terrorism. Insecurity in the region has only intensified with the recent influx of international terrorists not linked to either the Taliban or Al Qaeda. Asia Society hosted a discussion on these matters with speakers Sarah Chayes, founder of the Arghand Cooperative in Afghanistan, and Nicholas Schmidle, a former Fellow of Institute of Current World Affairs who was recently expelled from Pakistan for reporting deemed unacceptable by the government.

Left to right: Sarah Chayes, Richard Holbrooke, Nicholas Schmidle (Azadeh Fartash/Asia Society)

Chayes and Schmidle argued that the Taliban need to be brought into the political process, that only when local populations are satisfied with their governments will the threat from the Taliban diminish, and that in the cross-border region Pashtun identity trumps both the Afghan and Pakistani ones.

Most importantly, as the speakers and members of the audience noted, the cost of grain has skyrocketed in each country since 9/11, making access to affordable food a defining factor both in Pakistan's recent elections and in how Afghans regard their government in Kabul.

Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke, former US Ambassador to the United Nations and Chairman of the Asia Society, moderated the discussion.

Listen on Demand (1 hr., 8 min.)