A high-stakes game of enlightened self-interest is being played by each of these countries. They fear that this precarious halt may be turned back into a devastating theater of war by a single mistake, a poorly planned radar lock, or a renegade leader seeking notoriety. The smell of compromise, stale coffee, and the enduring, instinctive fear of betrayal permeate these conference rooms in Islamabad and elsewhere.
In an attempt to end decades of deeply ingrained animosity, the 10-point plan itself is a complicated tapestry of demands and compromises. The fundamental idea of the plan is a drastic reorganization of regional security, even though intelligence services continue to conceal the specifics. This action is being praised by supporters of the current administration as a demonstration of ultimate power. They contend that genuine leadership is found in the capacity to change course when the abyss is in sight rather than in the conceit of pride or the hollow echoes of “forever wars.” They believe that the president has demonstrated the guts to put human lives and world economic stability ahead of the appearances of a military impasse. They consider being able to stop the clock before midnight to be the pinnacle of statesmanship.
