Cutting Afghanistan’s "Gordian Knot"

We are encouraged by news that India and Pakistan are re-launching a dialogue aimed at building trust, and encourage them to work in that same spirit to support a political process in Afghanistan. We look to them—and all of Afghanistan’s other neighbors—to respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty, which means agreeing not to play out rivalries within its borders….
—Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, February 18, 2011

In her February speech to the Asia Society, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton focused on the many factors necessary for a successful outcome of the war in Afghanistan, both internal and external. But none of these factors may be as close to qualifying as a “Gordian knot” as the one involving India and Pakistan’s suspicions and interests, which are colliding in Afghanistan. Unless that Gordian knot can be cut, the prospects for a secure, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan over the long term are dim.