News Release

December 11, 2001

Anti-terrorism alliances could breed more terrorism, report says
Alliances of convenience bring long-term risks to U.S. national security

WASHINGTON—As the United States continues to prosecute a war on terrorism, it should be wary of paying too high a price for support from its allies, according to a new briefing paper from the Cato Institute.

In "Building the Anti-Terrorism Coalition: Don't Pay an Excessive Price," Cato Senior Defense Policy Analyst Charles Peña examines the coalition put together by President Bush and argues that the United States needs to be careful how it views its current allies. Although some coalition members are staunch and long-term allies, the support of some key countries—including Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Russia—might come at a price that could be detrimental to longer-term U.S. national security interests, Peña says.

Ongoing U.S. support for unpopular and undemocratic regimes and an interventionist American foreign policy with large, permanent U.S. military deployments overseas have created strong anti-American sentiment and have radicalized elements toward terrorist activity, Peña argues. That's why the United States should be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the past, he says. "Just as America funneled millions of dollars to authoritarian regimes during the Cold War because they were considered 'anti-communist,' America ought to be wary about providing ongoing support to Pakistan simply because it professes to be 'anti-terrorist,'" Peña writes.

Washington has lifted sanctions on Pakistan's nuclear program in return for support in the war on terrorism. But increased tensions along the border with India—together with concerns over nuclear control if the Musharraf regime is overthrown—should make the United States more cautious about the long-term price it is paying, Peña says. There are also potential problems in Uzbekistan, a new ally, where the secular government is almost as repressive as the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, he notes. And in Russia, the United States "must be extremely careful about giving tacit approval for a repressive and brutal war against Muslims in Chechnya." Writing off Russia's debt would also be too high a price for that country's support, Peña says.

"The U.S. government needs to understand that alliances of convenience may be necessary, but they come with greater risks," Peña says. "Ultimately—and paradoxically—the United States could end up doing more to breed terrorism than to prevent it."

"Building the Anti-Terrorism Coalition: Don't Pay An Excessive Price"