The breakdown of a peace accord with Taliban fighters in Pakistan's Swat valley and subsequent military action over the past two months has underscored persistent U.S. concerns about the will and ability of its ally in Islamabad to effectively confront militancy within its borders. A massive internally displaced refugee population is compounding existing strains on the Pakistani state's ability to deliver services to its people. U.S. and Pakistani policymakers alike are grappling with questions on how to make pledges of increased aid more effective and how to implement the Obama administration's new strategy for the region.

Please join us for a discussion on these and other critical issues for the U.S.-Pakistan relationship with Representative John Tierney, Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin, President of the Middle East Institute and former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan; and Dr. Samina Ahmed, Islamabad-based South Asia Project Director for the International Crisis Group, which published "Pakistan's IDP Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities" in June 2009.