Joe Biden's rushed Afghan exit adds strains to US-Pakistan ties

Pakistan remains an indispensable power in the region

Joe Biden’s hopes of keeping the Afghan Taliban in check will rely heavily on Pakistan, a neighboring nation that has close ties to the militant group but which has often proven an unreliable partner to the U.S.
 

Islamabad has long tried to balance its relationship with the U.S. and its support for the Taliban, stoking frustration in Washington and a sense now that the militant group’s triumph has a lot to do with its base of support in Pakistan.  

“Americans believe Pakistan’s support for the Taliban over 20 years was the main reason” for the U.S.’s failure, said Husain Haqqani, who