Pakistan Vs. India - Allies and Enemies

Pakistan has been at war with India over the control of Kashmir, a majority-Muslim state incorporated into India in 1947, when all other Muslim regions became part of Pakistan. Neither side ever accepted the 54-year "temporary" border as permanent. Gunfights and bombings have long been common; war has broken out twice. Now, the U.S. finds itself in a conflict of supporting two allies who are at war with one another, and have expressed their intentions to improve their nuclear capabilities.

On one hand, the U.S. has an economic partner in India where vast amounts of service labor is being tapped by the U.S. via satellite communications and internet marketing. Large companies are out-sourcing back-office functions such as payroll services, Human Resources, IT support and others at an incredible rate. And why not! The wage and benefits savings are tremendous, while the transition to these services is nearly transparent to the customers. Big business surely wants to maintain this economic edge by continuing its partnership with India, but how can the U.S. do this and court India's enemy, Pakistan, at the same time?

The U.S. needs Pakistan as a strong ally. Not because Pakistan is the same economic partner that india has become, but because they are instumental in the war on terror. The border between Afganistan and Pakistan has become the hideout for Al-Qaeda leadership. The terrain is formidable. The Pakistani tribes that live in the region have closer ties to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban than they have toward the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. needs the Pakistan government to help keep the pressure on the region and, if not flush the terriost from the area, at least make it difficult to find refuge in which to conduct operations from a command and control standpoint. But at what cost does the U.S. foster this partnership.