South Asia a serious national security challenge to America: Robert Hathaway

A renowned diplomatic historian of American origin, Robert Hathaway has said that America views South Asia particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan as a serious national security challenge whereas it acknowledges India to be one of the major players of this century. He expressed his opinion in his article 'Obama's South Asia' published in SouthAsia, an internationally acclaimed magazine, which provides regional, political and economic reviews of South Asia.
Hathaway, currently serving as Director Asia programme at the Washington based Woodrow Wilson International Center of Scholars, said that no matter how much Obama seem to have made the war in Afghanistan his own, American promise could fail to justify its withdrawal if the Taliban refuse to abide by American timelines. This, Hathaway suggested, could bring in serious consequences both for American security and its efforts to curb terrorism.
Commenting on the American policy in the region, Hathaway said that in Obama's Washington all South Asia is divided into three parts-Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, where any policy towards South Asia begins with and ends on Afghanistan. The remaining countries of the region-Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives-struggle to make their voices heard.
Commenting on Pakistan's role in bringing America's Afghan war to justice, Robert Hathaway said that Pakistan and the United States are entwined in an embrace of mutual need and mutual suspicion. Snarled by suspicions and animosities, this gap, Hathaway suggests, is misleadingly labelled a trust deficit whereas it could be more that merely that. Hathaway feared that another attack on the United States emanating from Pakistani soil like the failed New York Times Square bomb plot, could throw the bilateral relationship into a new tailspin.
As far as US strategy towards India is concerned, in spite of Obama's reassurances for a fuller partnership with New Delhi, its desire to work closely with Pakistan creates difficulties for its India agenda. The eagerness to play a facilitating role between the two neighbours leaves America in further animosity from the two states, said Hathaway. Speaking about the Obama administration's approach toward the remainder of the region, he said that the smaller countries fail to demand US attention and it will be long before that their voices make their way to the cacophonous capital of the distracted superpower.-PR