Will the US Bomb Pakistan?

{
  "authors": [
    "George Perkovich"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "NPP",
  "programs": [
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "South Asia",
    "Pakistan"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ]
}

In The Media

Will the US Bomb Pakistan?

U.S. concerns about Pakistan's nuclear weapons are sometimes exaggerated; the risk of nuclear war between India and Pakistan is greater than that of terrorists gaining access to Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

By George Perkovich

Published on Sep 27, 2011

Source: NPR

Speaking on NPR's To the Point, George Perkovich argued that worries over Pakistan's nuclear weapons are sometimes exaggerated in the United States and talked about in ways that are counterproductive. "There is a nuclear worry that I think is much greater, which is the possibility that a conflict with India will happen again," Perkovich said. He added that if India retaliates to an attack by a Pakistani terrorist group, there is a risk of military escalation that could lead to nuclear war. "The risk of nuclear war between Pakistan and India I think is well above zero," Perkovich said. He concluded that the key to stability in the region is getting “the Pakistani state apparatus not only to stop supporting groups that commit terror, but to try to turn against them."

About the Author

George Perkovich

Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, Senior Fellow

George Perkovich is the Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons and a senior fellow in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Nuclear Policy Program. He works primarily on nuclear deterrence, nonproliferation, and disarmament issues, and is leading a study on nuclear signaling in the 21^st century.

Recent Work

Paper
How to Assess Nuclear ‘Threats’ in the Twenty-First Century
- George Perkovich
Commentary
“A House of Dynamite” Shows Why No Leader Should Have a Nuclear Trigger
- George Perkovich

Nuclear Policy South Asia Pakistan

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie China

Commentary
Beyond the Putin-Kim Alliance: How Can the International Community Engage China to Contain Nuclear Risks Over the Korean Peninsula?
Faced with an increase in strategic maneuvering by Moscow and Pyongyang, Beijing will not sit idly by and allow Putin and Kim to shape the security environment on its behalf.
Tong Zhao
Commentary
Missile Defense and the Strategic Relationship among the United States, Russia, and China
China views U.S. missile defense as posing a greater potential threat to China’s nuclear deterrent than other U.S. military capabilities.
Tong Zhao, Dmitry Stefanovich
Commentary
Renewed Clashes on the China-India Border
Can China and India disengage from contested territories along the border?
+1
Paul Haenle, Ashley J. Tellis, Han Hua, …
Commentary
India’s New Crypto Proposals Should Worry Virtual Currency Fans
The government extends the uncertainty with its two new taxes and digital rupee.
Anirudh Burman, Priyadarshini D.
Commentary
About the P5 process, RevCon 2022, AUKUS and US-China Competition From The Chinese Side
There are certainly other issues among other P5 countries, but the U.S.-China competition is so by far the most consequential great power rivalry in the international system, and it has very far-reaching geopolitical implications at and beyond the Pacific region.
Tong Zhao

More Work from Carnegie China

Commentary

Beyond the Putin-Kim Alliance: How Can the International Community Engage China to Contain Nuclear Risks Over the Korean Peninsula?

Faced with an increase in strategic maneuvering by Moscow and Pyongyang, Beijing will not sit idly by and allow Putin and Kim to shape the security environment on its behalf.

Tong Zhao

Commentary

Missile Defense and the Strategic Relationship among the United States, Russia, and China

China views U.S. missile defense as posing a greater potential threat to China’s nuclear deterrent than other U.S. military capabilities.

Tong Zhao, Dmitry Stefanovich

Commentary

Renewed Clashes on the China-India Border

Can China and India disengage from contested territories along the border?

- +1
Paul Haenle, Ashley J. Tellis, Han Hua, …

Commentary

India’s New Crypto Proposals Should Worry Virtual Currency Fans

The government extends the uncertainty with its two new taxes and digital rupee.

Anirudh Burman, Priyadarshini D.

Commentary

About the P5 process, RevCon 2022, AUKUS and US-China Competition From The Chinese Side

There are certainly other issues among other P5 countries, but the U.S.-China competition is so by far the most consequential great power rivalry in the international system, and it has very far-reaching geopolitical implications at and beyond the Pacific region.

Tong Zhao