Brookings: Talk on Pakistan-US relations good; only wish I could get the book from bookstore!

 The author Declan Walsh presented his opus Dispatches from a Precarious State online January 5, 2021, Ms. Maliha Afzal, moderator; and Bruce Riedel, commentator--all from Brookings.  The bookstore at Brookings remains closed, so I couldn't purchase a copy there.  I'm interested to know whether the US will ever have a consistent policy toward the Pakistan government, and happenings there.  The country over the years has dabbled with the democratic form of government, but over the years, I haven't figured out our regard for Pakistan; the US seems so inconsistent in its dealing with the country from one year to the next.

Bruce Riedel sees Pakistan an important Muslim country of 220 million people, but as was pointed out in discussion our policy towards them is tainted by how India views them.  To see it in isolation, it seems headed to a more liberal stance, looking forward hopefully for change for better times.   A liberal acceptance of women in politics and industry, for example.  Stable governmental structures. 

Then there's India and Afghanistan as neighbors.  India is holding on to Kashmir, despite the many Muslims that live in the northern region; and the US seems to let things stand as they are now--which is, not to side with Pakistan in claiming right over the territory distinctively Muslim in Kashmir.

Afghanistan--the US is not likely to leave the country entirely to the natives, since Muslim women in Afghanistan have gained acceptance to greater equality since the days of the Russian occupation before the American troops replaced them.

Along in the discussion, it was brought out that maybe the US really doesn't know what the goals and wants of the country really are!  Perhaps, the US' thinking is that India is the region's country of the future; forget that Pakistan is even a regional player!  To the US, Pakistan may just be the land where the Taliban go for sanctuary from the battle skirmishes in Afghanistan!

Having friends in Pakistan over the years, I share their feelings of US neglect of an important Muslim country that may become more democratic and progressive, if given an international hearing.

In any event, I'll continue to hunt down Mr. Walsh's book to learn what US interest in Pakistan might amount to.  We should be able to help them in the quest, of some Pakistan leadership, toward embracing democracy.