Think Tanks
Here's a look at documents from think tanks
Featured Stories
Manhattan Institute Issues Commentary to Washington Post: How a Century-Old Railway Law Sows Modern Transit Havoc
NEW YORK, June 5 -- The Manhattan Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on June 4, 2026, by fellow Ken Girardin to the Washington Post:
* * *
How a Century-Old Railway Law Sows Modern Transit Havoc
Congress should extract commuter rail from the federal Railway Labor Act.
-
The New York City metro area, the seat of global finance, recently endured its second commuter-rail strike in a year.
Last month's three-day stoppage on the state-owned Long Island Rail Road, which stranded hundreds of thousands of commuters, followed a similar job action in May 2025 that slammed the brakes
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, June 5 -- The Manhattan Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on June 4, 2026, by fellow Ken Girardin to the Washington Post:
* * *
How a Century-Old Railway Law Sows Modern Transit Havoc
Congress should extract commuter rail from the federal Railway Labor Act.
-
The New York City metro area, the seat of global finance, recently endured its second commuter-rail strike in a year.
Last month's three-day stoppage on the state-owned Long Island Rail Road, which stranded hundreds of thousands of commuters, followed a similar job action in May 2025 that slammed the brakeson New Jersey Transit.
States can generally prohibit public employee strikes, as New York does, but their statutes are preempted by a century-old federal law that expressly permits stoppages. To prevent another commuter rail walkout in New York, Congress will have to step in.
The national Railway Labor Act (RLA) was crafted in 1926 to quite literally keep the trains running on time by forcing railroad companies and their unions to keep contract negotiations going as long as practicable in hopes of avoiding strikes -- worker actions the statute implicitly allows. Congress recognized that a stoppage could be extremely destructive economically not only for the two sides but also for other rail companies and customers whose crews would be idled or whose products would rot in rail yards because of a dispute elsewhere in the network.
As private commuter rail operations went bust over time and became absorbed by state agencies such as New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, they still mostly remained under RLA jurisdiction.
Continue reading the entire piece here at The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/06/04/new-york-shows-states-should-regulate-commuter-rail-not-feds/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzgwNTQ1NjAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzgxOTI3OTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3ODA1NDU2MDAsImp0aSI6IjNmNmY0ZTc5LTdlOTUtNDlmYS1iNGY1LWQ1ODlhOTAxN2UxMyIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vcGluaW9ucy8yMDI2LzA2LzA0L25ldy15b3JrLXNob3dzLXN0YXRlcy1zaG91bGQtcmVndWxhdGUtY29tbXV0ZXItcmFpbC1ub3QtZmVkcy8ifQ.mTYr76pbdOXj6qiJSsnSfXRdaoY5GC_PcAyIGRJSHIw)
* * *
Ken Girardin is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
* * *
Original text here: https://manhattan.institute/article/how-a-century-old-railway-law-sows-modern-transit-havoc
[Category: ThinkTank]
Liberty In Action: DEI's Reckoning
PHOENIX, Arizona, June 5 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Goldwater Institute posted the following news:
* * *
Liberty In Action: DEI's Reckoning
*
We've seen it in universities. We've seen it in K-12 schools. We've seen it in government. DEI has burrowed into American culture at all levels and in every state. And that's why the Goldwater Institute has been leading a national fight to combat it at every turn.
Now, we're taking the fight to the Arizona Supreme Court on behalf of Arizona State University Professor Owen Anderson, who was blocked by a lower court from challenging his university's
... Show Full Article
PHOENIX, Arizona, June 5 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Goldwater Institute posted the following news:
* * *
Liberty In Action: DEI's Reckoning
*
We've seen it in universities. We've seen it in K-12 schools. We've seen it in government. DEI has burrowed into American culture at all levels and in every state. And that's why the Goldwater Institute has been leading a national fight to combat it at every turn.
Now, we're taking the fight to the Arizona Supreme Court on behalf of Arizona State University Professor Owen Anderson, who was blocked by a lower court from challenging his university'sillegal DEI mandate.
ASU violated state law when it required Owen to take its "Inclusive Communities" DEI training to keep his job, so he sued. But the appeals court concluded that the statute doesn't allow an individual subjected to an unlawful, discriminatory training to challenge it in court-a ruling that would essentially leave the law unenforceable if left to stand. Goldwater challenged the ruling earlier this year, and this week the Arizona Supreme Court agreed to hear the case and decide if Owen can hold ASU accountable. It will be Goldwater's 15 th appearance before the Court.
In the meantime, Arizona lawmakers have a golden opportunity to end DEI for good by placing HCR2044 on the November ballot and giving voters the chance to enshrine anti-discrimination protections in the state constitution.
Read more here.
Germany's Freeloader Drug Policies
With a promise of lower costs for medicine, government price controls might sound like a good idea upon first glance. But as Goldwater Institute CEO Victor Riches writes, Germany is learning the hard way just how costly government price controls really are.
Germany has spent years building an elaborate system of pharmaceutical price controls to demand the benefits of medical innovation without bearing its share of the costs-costs that are usually shifted to the American consumer, Riches writes. But now, Germany is reaping what it's sown-the share of new medicines launched in the country is falling and dozens of drugs have been removed from the German market.
Germany should serve as a warning: price controls do not make the process of developing new medicine cheaper. While government can dictate what it's willing to pay for a product, it cannot compel a company to sell the product at a loss, force investors to finance new treatments, or compel scientists to produce cures.
As the Goldwater Institute has long noted, free markets-not government price controls-preserve the conditions that make better treatments possible.
Read more here.
Fighting Phoenix's Illegal Land Giveaway
It's a simple principle-public property belongs to the public, and when government officials sell it, the public must get a direct and proportionate return. That's why the Goldwater Institute is suing the City of Phoenix, which is violating the Arizona Constitution's Gift Clause by agreeing to sell city-owned land to a developer for a $3.3 million discount with no discernible public benefit.
The proposed deal involves a vacant downtown property the city appraised at about $4.8 million just a few years ago. Despite that, city leaders have agreed to sell the land to a private, out-of-state developer for only $1.5 million. The developer, Pennrose, LLC, claims its own private gains from the project should be considered public benefits, a theory that turns the Arizona Constitution on its head.
Arizona's Gift Clause exists to ensure the government doesn't give away public resources to favored special interests. The Goldwater Institute will always fight to ensure that taxpayers aren't forced to subsidize a private company's profits.
Read more here.
***
Original text here: https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/liberty-in-action-target-dei/
Jamestown Foundation Posts Commentary: ISPP's Expanding Operational Geography in Pakistan
WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary by Rahim Nasar, a PhD American Studies researcher at the Area Study Centre at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan, in the foundation's Terrorism Monitor:
* * *
ISPP's Expanding Operational Geography in Pakistan
Executive Summary:
* Islamic State Pakistan Province (ISPP)--a chapter of Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)--has significantly transformed its tactical capabilities and operational geography, evolving its low-organizational structure into a decentralized network capable of carrying out attacks
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary by Rahim Nasar, a PhD American Studies researcher at the Area Study Centre at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan, in the foundation's Terrorism Monitor:
* * *
ISPP's Expanding Operational Geography in Pakistan
Executive Summary:
* Islamic State Pakistan Province (ISPP)--a chapter of Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)--has significantly transformed its tactical capabilities and operational geography, evolving its low-organizational structure into a decentralized network capable of carrying out attacksacross Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Islamabad.
* ISPP's attacks in Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Quetta demonstrate the group's strategic shift from focusing on territorial control to high-impact militant activities, targeted killings of ideological rivals, and fueling sectarian attacks.
* The group's operational resilience is supported by cross-border sanctuaries, covert urban cells, modified insurgent architecture, an advanced digital propaganda front, and intelligence gaps, thereby transforming ISPP into one of the most serious militant threats emerging in Pakistan.
-
On May 5, prominent Deobandi cleric Sheikh Idrees Tarangzai was assassinated in the Charsada district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (X/@theoxuswatch, May 5). Islamic State in Pakistan Province (ISPP) immediately claimed responsibility for the assassination, asserting that he was loyal to the Pakistani government (X/@SaleemMehsud, May 5). The killing signaled ISPP's expanded militant architecture across Pakistan. Tarangzai's reported meeting with Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada and his supportive statements of Pakistani Field Marshal General Asim Munir made him a high-value opponent within ISPP's ideological narratives. The assassination of the prominent Sheikh, moreover, exposed the state's inability to protect high-value figures, and the growing ability of the group to execute attacks and disappear in urban areas.
Background
The January 2015 emergence of Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) significantly altered the Afghanistan-Pakistan militant landscape. Its early foundations were in Nangarhar and Kunar, but it soon expanded to tribal regions under the leadership of Sheikh Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost, Mullah Abdul Rauf Khadim, Saeed Khan Orakzai, and Abubakar Bajauri. Originally, around 70 percent of ISKP fighters were defectors from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or Pakistani Taliban). Over time, however, militants from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other sectarian groups have also moved into ISKP camps.
By 2016, ISKP established a presence in Balochistan, Peshawar, Bajaur, Bannu, Waziristan, Orakzai, and other parts of the country. On August 8, 2016, the group bombed Quetta Civil Hospital, killing 70 people in the insurgent-riddled province (Dawn, August 8, 2016). ISKP and a splinter group of TTP--Jamaat-ul-Ahrar--mutually claimed the attack, underscoring ISKP's ability to coordinate with other militant factions. The July 3, 2018, attack on Siraj Raisani's rally in the Mustang district of Balochistan, in which more than 150 people were killed, further cemented the group's capability to conduct violent attacks. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ISKP focused on targeting Deobandi scholars of Jamiat Ulama-Islam Fazal Rahman (JUI-F) because of an ideological rivalry. In April 2023, ISKP issued a formal fatwa to justify attacks on the JUI-F leadership (Voicepk, August 1, 2023).
In May 2019, Islamic State (IS) announced a separate chapter via its Amaq News Agency--Islamic State in Pakistan Province (ISPP). Recently, on February 11, ISPP launched an English-language magazine named "Invade" targeting an international audience, followed by "Voice of Khorasan," "Nashir Pakistan," and "Yalghar" (Khorasan Diary, February 23). The emergence of ISPP is a significant threat to Pakistan's domestic security landscape. The group has been escalating suicide bombings, sectarian assassinations, and targeted killings, which altogether weaken the government.
Resurgence and Urban Reach
Since 2025, ISPP has expanded its operational reach to key cities and locations. On February 28, 2025, ISPP targeted Akora Khattak in the Nowshera district, the most prominent religious seminary of Deobandis, and frequently known as the "Oxford of Jihad" (Gandhara, March 11, 2018). The attack resulted in the killing of several individuals, including the seminary's head, Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq Haqqani. It also conveyed a message that anyone who is sympathetic to the Taliban-linked Deobandi institution will be targeted (DW, February 28, 2025).
The February 6 suicide attack at Tarlai Imambargah in Islamabad further demonstrated the geographical transition and reach of ISPP. Targeting a sectarian mosque in the high-security territory of Islamabad exposed the state's weak counterterrorism measures. In addition, it revealed changes in ISPP's attack tactics and kinetic activities (Media Line, February 8).
Mobility and Intelligence Gaps
ISPP's organizational network now spans the strategically important provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The group maintains a decentralized militant structure connected across Pakistan and Afghanistan. Its covert cells, highly encrypted communication strategy, cross-border connections, and coordination with defected factions of TTP have strengthened the group's operational continuity.
State intelligence failures and gaps enable ISPP's expansion and ability to sustain coordinated, high-impact attacks. Failures to follow surveillance mechanisms, draft intelligence reports, and analyze the nature of threat alerts are paving the way for the resurgence of militant groups. The May 10 attack, claimed by Ittehad Mujahideen-e- Pakistan (IMP), on Fateh Khail police station in which all on-duty personnel were killed, should also be viewed in the context of intelligence failure and the inability to avert threats (Dawn, May 10).
Prioritizing TTP's threats and ignoring other militant groups, particularly ISPP, is myopic security thinking. IS is comparatively more lethal and brutal in its operational theatre. As Pakistan's sectarian ecosystem is vibrantly fragile, the emergence of ISPP and its outreach will attract militants' loyalties due to its sophisticated funding and transnational network.
Conclusion
ISPP's emerging threat cannot be ignored. The group is successfully exploiting ideological radicalization, focusing on kinetic and digital fronts, and engaging cross-border militant sanctuaries. Pakistani security experts must upgrade their human intelligence (HUMINT) capabilities, integrate intelligence sharing, coordinate surveillance, and internet-based counter-propaganda mechanisms and campaigns. More broadly, Pakistani authorities must continue to investigate how to thwart the ISPP threat before it metastasizes.
* * *
Rahim Nasar is a PhD American Studies researcher at the Area Study Centre, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. Rahim focuses on regional political, security, & strategic affairs.
* * *
Original text here: https://jamestown.org/ispps-expanding-operational-geography-in-pakistan/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Jamestown Foundation Posts Commentary: Aliyev's Digital Silk Road and Middle Corridor Experiences Reliability Gap
WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on June 4, 2026, by Sertac Canalp Korkmaz, former specialist at the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor:
* * *
Aliyev's Digital Silk Road and Middle Corridor Experiences Reliability Gap
Executive Summary:
* Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced at the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Turkistan summit on May 15 that the Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable would become operational in the coming months, aligning with Kazakhstan's target for the third quarter of 2026.
*
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on June 4, 2026, by Sertac Canalp Korkmaz, former specialist at the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor:
* * *
Aliyev's Digital Silk Road and Middle Corridor Experiences Reliability Gap
Executive Summary:
* Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced at the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Turkistan summit on May 15 that the Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable would become operational in the coming months, aligning with Kazakhstan's target for the third quarter of 2026.
*The cable's construction has lagged behind the physical Middle Corridor for years. AzerTelecom's 2019 target to complete it by the end of 2021 has slipped to the third quarter of 2026 due to partner changes and joint-venture restructuring.
* If the timeline slips again, the cable will remain among regional infrastructure projects whose multilateral endorsements have outpaced their physical delivery.
-
The Middle Corridor's physical infrastructure has seen consistent development over the past few years, and multi-state cooperation agreements continue to be signed. The route's board approved a digitalization-focused 2026 work plan in Astana in April, and Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have moved to institutionalize corridor governance (see EDM, April 28, 30, June 2). The corridor still lacks digital connectivity and a customs data layer, however, that matches the physical layer's scale.
The May 15 Organization of Turkic States (OTS) informal summit in Turkistan placed that gap at the center of its agenda (OTS, May 15). Speaking at the summit, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told fellow heads of state that the Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable, the backbone of the Digital Silk Way project, would become operational in the coming months (President of Azerbaijan, May 15). The Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable Line is an approximately 380-kilometer (236-mile) submarine cable running between Sumgait on the Azerbaijani coast and Aktau on the Kazakh coast through the Caspian Sea, with a design capacity of up to 400 terabits per second (Digital Silk Way, March 4, 2025). It is being implemented by AzerTelecom in partnership with Kazakhtelecom, Kazakhstan's national telecommunications operator, through the joint venture Caspinet B.V., registered in August 2023 with equal shareholding (Interfax, August 24, 2023). In June 2024, Kazakh Digital Development Minister Zhaslan Madiyev disclosed that the project would cost more than 23 billion tenge ($50 million) (Interfax, June 18, 2024). According to Kazakhtelecom's 2023 Integrated Annual Report, commercial operation is planned for the second half of 2026 (Kaztelecom, 2023).
The cable's operational purpose is narrower than the "bridge between Europe and Asia," framing the OTS declarations. Approximately 95 percent of Kazakhstan's web traffic transits Russian networks, and Kazakh internet service providers source roughly 80 percent of their international bandwidth from Russian operators (Adyrna, March 25, 2022; UNICEF, August 2022). Uzbekistan's connections to the outside world are routed through Kazakhstan and then through Russia, where state control over internet traffic has tightened significantly since February 2022 (Eurasianet, October 22, 2025; Carnegie Politika, April 9; see Strategic Snapshot, May 8). Routed westward through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Black Sea, the Trans-Caspian cable would create the first sovereign east-west digital pathway out of Central Asia, bypassing both Russian and Chinese intermediation.
The cable's construction has lagged behind the physical corridor for years. AzerTelecom launched the project in late 2018 with the original Kazakh partners, Transtelecom and KazTransCom. At the November 2019 groundbreaking ceremony in Aktau, the stated target was completion by the end of 2021 (OTS, November 21, 2019; AzerNews, November 28, 2019). The cable was not completed by the end of 2021, and subsequent years saw additional official agreements for the project. AzerTelecom and Kazakhtelecom signed a strategic partnership memorandum on the project in September 2022 as part of the "Digital Bridge" international technological forum held in Astana (Digital Silk Way, October 5, 2022). In August 2023, Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom signed an agreement to register Caspinet B.V. (The Astana Times, August 24, 2023). A construction agreement was signed in March 2025 in the presence of the Azerbaijani and Kazakh prime ministers (Submarine Networks, March 6, 2025). The Desktop Study, a pre-engineering analysis of the marine environment and cable route, was completed in May 2025 (Report.az, July 7, 2025). A survey vessel departed the Kazakh port of Bautino in August 2025 to begin seabed mapping (Developing Telecoms, August 8, 2025). The pandemic, the 2020 oil price collapse, and subsequent geopolitical disruption have been cited as causes of organizational and financial delays (Caliber.az, September 29, 2025).
Madiyev confirmed in a year-end briefing in December 2025 that the official launch of the cable is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026 (Qazinform, December 26, 2025). Aliyev's Turkistan formulation, "in the coming months," aligns with this timetable but does not specifically reaffirm Madiyev's third-quarter target.
Turkmenistan occupies a distinct position within the same framework. The Trans-Caspian project includes a planned second-phase cable on an Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan route, which would extend the sovereign east-west pathway and add redundancy to the first phase's line (Submarine Networks, March 6, 2025; Digital Silk Way, accessed June 4). Despite holding OTS observer status at OTS, Turkmenistan did not send senior leadership to the Turkistan summit (The Times of Central Asia, May 18). Ashgabat's permanent neutrality doctrine, formalized by a UN General Assembly resolution in December 1995, has historically translated into a preference for bilateral over collective frameworks. Accordingly, the second phase's segment will proceed through the Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan Joint Intergovernmental Commission rather than through OTS declarations (Digital Silk Way, accessed June 4). The second phase's pace will indicate whether Ashgabat treats the cable as a commercial diversification project or as a politically constrained one.
Aliyev's broader Turkistan framing, that the Turkic world "must transform into one of the influential geopolitical power centers of the 21st century," was accompanied by a substantive set of operational proposals (Euronews, May 17). He also reiterated that the Zangezur Corridor, dubbed the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) at the August 2025 summit in Washington, "will become one of the key segments of the Middle Corridor." He highlighted the OTS-developed "e-Permit" system, which enables the automated issuance of electronic transit permits across member states (President of Azerbaijan, May 15). Aliyev spoke from a position of infrastructure in the construction phase. Erdogan's parallel emphasis on a Turkish Large Language Model and a common Turkic alphabet remained at the proposal stage (Daily Sabah, May 18). The fiber-optic cable, the e-Permit system, and TRIPP collectively constitute the digital and customs-governance layer that the Middle Corridor still lacks to reach the reliability threshold required by major logistics operators and insurers.
That layer's materialization also depends on factors the cable alone cannot resolve. Central Asia's data-center capacity remains structurally limited. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan together account for just over 4,700 racks, and only 15 facilities are certified to Tier III standards by the Uptime Institute (Carnegie Politika, April 9). The relationship between the cable and the regional data-center deficit is sequential rather than parallel. Without a sovereign east-west fiber route, additional Central Asian data-center capacity would still depend on Russian-controlled networks for international transit. The Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable Line is therefore the precondition that makes subsequent regional data-center buildout meaningful. The cable does not, by itself, close the corridor's reliability gap, but it unblocks the investment cycle that can.
The third-quarter 2026 commissioning should take place shortly before the 13th OTS Regular Summit in Turkiye, where Ankara will assume the chairmanship. If the cable enters service on schedule, it will become the OTS's first major submarine infrastructure asset on the digital corridor, distinguishing the organization from its previous role as an endorser of bilaterally developed plans. If the timeline slips again, the cable will remain among regional infrastructure projects whose multilateral endorsements have outpaced their physical delivery. For Baku, the distinction matters. The Digital Silk Way's strategic value lies less in its declared capacity than in whether Caspinet B.V. lays cable on the Caspian seabed before the next OTS chairmanship cycle reshapes the organization's digital agenda.
* * *
Sertac Canalp Korkmaz was a specialist at the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye from 2019 to 2024.
* * *
Original text here: https://jamestown.org/aliyevs-digital-silk-road-and-middle-corridor-experiences-reliability-gap/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Jamestown Foundation Issues Commentary: Pakistan - Unexpected Host of U.S.-Iranian Talks
WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary by analyst Andrea Serino in the foundation's Terrorism Monitor:
* * *
Pakistan: Unexpected Host of U.S.-Iranian Talks
Executive Summary:
* Following the launch of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between the United States and Iran, leveraging its strong diplomatic relationships with both nations, Gulf countries, and the People's Republic of China.
* The key Pakistani figure behind the ongoing meetings is Field Marshal Asim Munir. After a career in the Inter-Services Intelligence
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary by analyst Andrea Serino in the foundation's Terrorism Monitor:
* * *
Pakistan: Unexpected Host of U.S.-Iranian Talks
Executive Summary:
* Following the launch of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between the United States and Iran, leveraging its strong diplomatic relationships with both nations, Gulf countries, and the People's Republic of China.
* The key Pakistani figure behind the ongoing meetings is Field Marshal Asim Munir. After a career in the Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI), his domestic position has drastically grown since the 4-day war between India and Pakistan in May 2025.
* This prominent international mediation role bolsters the Pakistani military's domestic authority as it actively competes for political dominance against Imran Khan's popular Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
-
The February 28 U.S.-Israeli joint attacks against Iran have unexpectedly increased Pakistan's presence in the international arena. Soon after the conflict began, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir promoted Pakistan's role as an intermediary between the two sides in the hostilities (BBC, April 10). Pakistan has been able to position itself as a mediator between the two actors for two main reasons. First, Islamabad maintains strong relations with Iran. Since 2024, both countries have agreed to coordinate border operations to limit militant activity on their respective territories (see Terrorism Monitor, December 4, 2025). In 2025, Iranian President Masoud Pezheshkian paid a state visit to Pakistan, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi, marking Pezheshkian's first foreign visit after assuming office in 2024 (Government of Pakistan, August 1, 2025).
Second, Pakistan and the United States have steadily strengthened their diplomatic relations through joint engagement in the Middle East. This was exemplified by Pakistan's decision to join the Board of Peace in Gaza (Government of Pakistan, January 23). At the same time, Islamabad holds strong diplomatic ties with the Arab Gulf countries, which have been targeted by Iranian missile attacks, as well as with the People's Republic of China, which presented a joint peace plan to its Pakistani counterparts in late March (The Guardian, March 31). Thus, Pakistan is seeking to exercise its influence in the conflict through negotiations.
Pakistan-Mediated Negotiations
Pakistani diplomats have facilitated direct dialogue between the two parties (Al Jazeera, April 11). The primary objectives of these sessions include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the partial easing of economic sanctions against Iran, a cessation of hostilities in both Iran and Lebanon, and the prevention of Iran's development of nuclear weapons (House of Commons Library, April 24). Despite an initial breakdown of the negotiations, Pakistan successfully mediated a subsequent round of diplomacy in its capital (The Times of Israel, April 12).
Iran has since put forward a new 14-point proposal, which U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to consider(Al Jazeera, May 3). Notably, the most recent phase has yielded modest diplomatic progress, as evidenced by the ceasefire in Lebanon announced on April 16, which has been only partially observed by both sides (BBC, April 24).
The Mission of Asim Munir
The key Pakistani figure behind the ongoing meetings is Asim Munir. After a career in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), his importance drastically grew following the 4-day war between India and Pakistan in May 2025 (Al Jazeera, April 23). His performance conferred upon him the prestigious title of "Field Marshal" (Reuters, May 21, 2025).
In Pakistani military history, this rank has been exceptionally rare, with Ayub Khan serving as the only precedent after he took power in a coup d'etat in 1958. The military elite is now embodied by Munir, who has assumed a new posture towards the civil sphere of policy. Munir uses security threats as a tool to repress internal dissent. In this regard, the imprisonment of the popular politician Imran Khan in 2023 and the allegations of terrorism against his political party have provided the pretext for Munir to formalize an already expanding military role (see Terrorism Monitor, May 12, 2023).
The dialogue between the United States and Iran takes place in Rawalpindi, the headquarters of the Pakistani army. The choice of Rawalpindi rather than Islamabad signals the empowerment of the Pakistani military elite at both the domestic and international levels (The Guardian, April 17). Both the U.S. and Iranian administrations seem to recognize the importance of Munir and Rawalpindi (Hindustani Times, October 14, 2025; DAWN, April 25).
Conclusion
The resurgence of the military in Pakistan's political landscape follows a period of acute confrontation with the nation's most prominent political figure, Imran Khan. Khan's arrest in May 2023 catalyzed widespread civil unrest, prompting the military establishment to implement stringent legal measures against those implicated in the violent protests of May 9, 2023 (DAWN June 7, 2023). Despite these measures, Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) remains a primary political force, as evidenced by its performance in the 2024 elections and its continued capacity for mass mobilization in support of its leadership (The Guardian, February 11, 2024; The News Pakistan, May 3). Consequently, the PTI constitutes a significant challenge to the military's traditional hegemony over Pakistan's political landscape. This dynamic highlights a persistent structural tension in Pakistan's power system, where electoral politics and military authority--the latter of which is being strengthened through its ongoing role in U.S.-Iranian mediation--continue to compete for primacy in shaping Pakistan's political order.
* * *
Andrea Serino is an independent analyst who holds an active collaboration with the Pakistani geopolitical platform TheKhorasanDiary.
* * *
Original text here: https://jamestown.org/pakistan-unexpected-host-of-u-s-iranian-talks/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Economy added 172,000 jobs in May, better than expected report: CEI analysis
WASHINGTON, June 5 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Competitive Enterprise Institute posted the following news release:
* * *
Economy added 172,000 jobs in May, better than expected report: CEI analysis
*
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' jobs report for May shows an unexpected increase of 172,000 jobs, indicating an economy that has begun to pick up steam. The Federal Reserve will likely resist an interest rate cut at their next meeting in its continued mission to stamp out inflation.
CEI Research Fellow Sean Higgins :
"Friday's Labor Department report that the economy gained 172,000 jobs in
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 5 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Competitive Enterprise Institute posted the following news release:
* * *
Economy added 172,000 jobs in May, better than expected report: CEI analysis
*
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' jobs report for May shows an unexpected increase of 172,000 jobs, indicating an economy that has begun to pick up steam. The Federal Reserve will likely resist an interest rate cut at their next meeting in its continued mission to stamp out inflation.
CEI Research Fellow Sean Higgins :
"Friday's Labor Department report that the economy gained 172,000 jobs inMay, well above analysts' expectations, suggests the economy is beginning to gain steam again thanks to attempts to wind down the Iran war and the relative calm on the tariff front. The report updated March and April's numbers to add a further combined 93,000 jobs.
"Almost half of May's gains, 70,000, were in leisure and hospitality, presumably from employers beginning to bulk up in anticipation of summer. The leisure and hospitality sector is the economy's bellwether because it is one of the first places that consumers cut back in leaner times. With the summer coming and the U.S. hosting the World Cup, those employers are feeling more optimistic.
"One data point not mentioned in the Labor Department's press release but included in the accompanying charts was that federal government employment rose by a marginal 1,000 jobs in May. It was only the second month-to-month increase in that workforce since the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency. As of April, DOGE had eliminated 348,000 jobs, or 11.5 percent of the workforce, from its October 2024 level. The trend suggests that the administration has deemed DOGE to have been successful in its mission and is winding it down according to its original July 4, 2026, termination date."
CEI Senior Economist Ryan Young :
"This is the third month in a row with a decent jobs report, which is pretty good for an economy that is basically at full employment. The year-over-year change is less encouraging, with the labor force growing by 99,000 since April 2025, compared to population growth of more than two million. Economic growth was also recently revised downward to 1.6 percent, which is less than the 100-year average of just over 2 percent.
"Still, three months of jobs growth plus a 4.3 unemployment rate indicates an economy that doesn't need any assistance from looser monetary policy. These numbers should prevent the Federal Reserve from lowering interest rates at its next meeting on June 16-17. This is good news for inflation, since one risk of lowering interest rates is more inflation. With inflation indicators now at almost double their target due to tariffs and the Iran war, this is especially important."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' jobs report for May shows an unexpected increase of 172,000 jobs, indicating an economy that has begun to pick up steam. The Federal Reserve will likely resist an interest rate cut at their next meeting in its continued mission to stamp out inflation.
CEI Research Fellow Sean Higgins :
"Friday's Labor Department report that the economy gained 172,000 jobs in May, well above analysts' expectations, suggests the economy is beginning to gain steam again thanks to attempts to wind down the Iran war and the relative calm on the tariff front. The report updated March and April's numbers to add a further combined 93,000 jobs.
"Almost half of May's gains, 70,000, were in leisure and hospitality, presumably from employers beginning to bulk up in anticipation of summer. The leisure and hospitality sector is the economy's bellwether because it is one of the first places that consumers cut back in leaner times. With the summer coming and the U.S. hosting the World Cup, those employers are feeling more optimistic.
"One data point not mentioned in the Labor Department's press release but included in the accompanying charts was that federal government employment rose by a marginal 1,000 jobs in May. It was only the second month-to-month increase in that workforce since the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency. As of April, DOGE had eliminated 348,000 jobs, or 11.5 percent of the workforce, from its October 2024 level. The trend suggests that the administration has deemed DOGE to have been successful in its mission and is winding it down according to its original July 4, 2026, termination date."
CEI Senior Economist Ryan Young :
"This is the third month in a row with a decent jobs report, which is pretty good for an economy that is basically at full employment. The year-over-year change is less encouraging, with the labor force growing by 99,000 since April 2025, compared to population growth of more than two million. Economic growth was also recently revised downward to 1.6 percent, which is less than the 100-year average of just over 2 percent.
"Still, three months of jobs growth plus a 4.3 unemployment rate indicates an economy that doesn't need any assistance from looser monetary policy. These numbers should prevent the Federal Reserve from lowering interest rates at its next meeting on June 16-17. This is good news for inflation, since one risk of lowering interest rates is more inflation. With inflation indicators now at almost double their target due to tariffs and the Iran war, this is especially important."
***
Original text here: https://cei.org/news_releases/economy-added-172000-jobs-in-may-better-than-expected-report-cei-analysis/
America First Policy Institute: Pro-Growth Policies Are Creating Jobs for Americans
WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement:
* * *
Pro-Growth Policies Are Creating Jobs for Americans
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has released the following statement from Michael Faulkender, co-chair for American Prosperity, in response to positive economic data released this week and the Bureau of Labor Statistics data today:
"This week's economic data and today's jobs report show that the pro-growth policies of the Trump administration are benefitting America's workers and businesses. The jobs numbers further confirm the impact with
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement:
* * *
Pro-Growth Policies Are Creating Jobs for Americans
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has released the following statement from Michael Faulkender, co-chair for American Prosperity, in response to positive economic data released this week and the Bureau of Labor Statistics data today:
"This week's economic data and today's jobs report show that the pro-growth policies of the Trump administration are benefitting America's workers and businesses. The jobs numbers further confirm the impact with172,000 new jobs created in May, and March and April revised upward by an additional 93,000 new jobs.
Manufacturing PMI has also reached its highest level since 2022, reflecting growing business confidence in the administration's pro-growth and sound tax and regulatory policies. Investment drives productivity, and productivity drives jobs and real wages.
The Working Families Tax Cuts Act laid the foundation for this growth with permanent full business expensing reducing the tax burdens on businesses, lowering the cost of hiring, and incentivizing investment.
This Administration is building a durable foundation for sustained American economic growth. The remaining work involves bringing domestic, all-of-the-above energy production to full capacity to reduce the energy cost burden that American families and manufacturers still face, further reducing the costs Washington's largesse imposes on American families and Main Street businesses, and unlocking the next leg of this expansion."
To read more about AFPI's policy work to reshore investment, boost the American economy, increasing housing supply, and create more jobs, click here (https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/policy-areas/economy-and-trade).
* * *
Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/pro-growth-policies-are-creating-jobs-for-americans
[Category: ThinkTank]
