Melissa Dell

Melissa Dell contends in the following viewpoint that the United States should seek an alliance with Pakistan to fight the war against terrorism despite Pakistan’s reputation for harboring terrorists. She points out that many of the world’s terrorist acts are being committed by extremists in Muslim countries and that an ally in Central Asia would help stabilize the region. Dell warns that rather than the short-term commitments made by the United States in the past—which often left Muslim nations at the mercy of ruthless dictators—an American alliance with Pakistan should be long-term. Melissa Dell is a staff writer for the Harvard International Review.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Dell, where do the roots of Pakistani...