The U.S. Bounty on Lashkar-e-Taiba

{
  "authors": [
    "Stephen Tankel"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "SAP",
  "programs": [
    "South Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "South Asia",
    "Pakistan"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Security",
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

In The Media

The U.S. Bounty on Lashkar-e-Taiba

The recent U.S. decision to place a ten million dollar bounty on Lashkar-e-Taiba's founder may be designed to pressure Pakistan, but it risks leading to more tension in the U.S.-Pakistani relationship.

By Stephen Tankel

Published on Apr 3, 2012

Source: BBC World News

Speaking on BBC World Report, Carnegie's Stephen Tankel discussed some of the repercussions behind the recent U.S. decision to place a ten million dollar bounty on the head of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, founder of the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. He argued that the timing of the decision was either intended to \place pressure on the Pakistani government or it was the culmination of a long bureaucratic process. Either way, Tankel said, it does not necessarily bode well for the U.S.-Pakistani relationship. He also explained that Lashkar-e-Taiba might not have high favorability ratings among ordinary Pakistanis, but it has penetrated certain pockets of civil society and is unusally powerful as a result.

About the Author

Stephen Tankel

Former Nonresident Scholar, South Asia Program

Tankel was a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment, where his research focuses on insurgency, terrorism, and the evolution of nonstate armed groups.

Recent Work

Q&A
Restoring Trust: U.S.-Pakistan Relations
- Stephen Tankel
Q&A
LeT’s Global Rise
- Stephen Tankel

Security Foreign 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
Malaysia’s Year as ASEAN Chair: Managing Disorder
Malaysia’s chairmanship sought to fend off short-term challenges while laying the groundwork for minimizing ASEAN’s longer-term exposure to external stresses.
Elina Noor
Commentary
When It Comes to Superpower Geopolitics, Malaysia Is Staunchly Nonpartisan
For Malaysia, the conjunction that works is “and” not “or” when it comes to the United States and China.
Elina Noor
Commentary
Neither Comrade nor Ally: Decoding Vietnam’s First Army Drill with China
In July 2025, Vietnam and China held their first joint army drill, a modest but symbolic move reflecting Hanoi’s strategic hedging amid U.S.–China rivalry.
Nguyễn Khắc Giang
Commentary
China’s Mediation Offer in the Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute Sheds Light on Beijing’s Security Role in Southeast Asia
The Thai-Cambodian conflict highlights the limits to China's peacemaker ambition and the significance of this role on Southeast Asia’s balance of power.
Pongphisoot (Paul) Busbarat
Commentary
Emissary
China Is Determined to Hold Firm Against Trump’s Pressure
Beijing believes that Washington is overestimating its own leverage and its ability to handle the trade war’s impacts.
Rick Waters, Sheena Chestnut Greitens

More Work from Carnegie China

Commentary

Malaysia’s Year as ASEAN Chair: Managing Disorder

Malaysia’s chairmanship sought to fend off short-term challenges while laying the groundwork for minimizing ASEAN’s longer-term exposure to external stresses.

Elina Noor

Commentary

When It Comes to Superpower Geopolitics, Malaysia Is Staunchly Nonpartisan

For Malaysia, the conjunction that works is “and” not “or” when it comes to the United States and China.

Elina Noor

Commentary

Neither Comrade nor Ally: Decoding Vietnam’s First Army Drill with China

In July 2025, Vietnam and China held their first joint army drill, a modest but symbolic move reflecting Hanoi’s strategic hedging amid U.S.–China rivalry.

Nguyễn Khắc Giang

Commentary

China’s Mediation Offer in the Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute Sheds Light on Beijing’s Security Role in Southeast Asia

The Thai-Cambodian conflict highlights the limits to China's peacemaker ambition and the significance of this role on Southeast Asia’s balance of power.

Pongphisoot (Paul) Busbarat

Commentary

Emissary

China Is Determined to Hold Firm Against Trump’s Pressure

Beijing believes that Washington is overestimating its own leverage and its ability to handle the trade war’s impacts.

Rick Waters, Sheena Chestnut Greitens