A Kashmir Peace Deal Now? Ripeness, Readiness, and US Role

It would send a message to India and the rest of the world confronting the rise of authoritarianism about the distinctiveness and value of America’s global leadership. [...] Such a dynamic plays an important role in the intra- Afghan negotiations, as the Afghan government is losing the war with the Taliban.17 When faced with the prospect of losing power, the strong can be inclined to make a deal before becoming weaker.18 14 Ada Nissen, “Weak Third Parties and Ripening: Revisiting Norwegian Interventions in Guatemala and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” International. [...] India acquiring the global reputation of a bully similarly risks strengthening the hand of Pakistan and losing the moral ground to object to any changes in the status of Pakistan- 43 Shankar, The Reputational Imperative, 21. [...] He wrote, “India’s actions of unilaterally changing the status quo of Kashmir and continuing to exacerbate regional tensions have posed a challenge to the sovereignty of China and Pakistan and made the India-Pakistan relations and China-India relations more complex.”50 On the official front, China supported Pakistan’s bid for a “closed consultation” on Article 370 at the United Nations Security Co. [...] In addition to projects such as the construction of the Diamer Bhasha Dam, the region is critical to the development of a land-based alternative to the maritime “chokepoint” of the closed-doors-on-august-16-diplomats/article29102959.ece.