US Expanding Dialogue

In what marks a significant shift in policy, Washington has taken up dialogue with some of Pakistan's more radical Islamist and anti-American parties, including one which helped foster the Taliban. President Barack Obama's special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, has initiated talks with parties that previous US administration actively snubbed. The response has been mixed but broadly positive, with a top member of the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party in quoted in the media as saying that he welcomed the new administration's change in tone towards the Muslim world.

To read the full article, please choose one of the following options: