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| Image: Flickr User - AK Rockefeller |
By Prashanth Parameswaran
An inside look at ongoing cooperation between Washington and Kuala Lumpur.
It has happened quickly and quietly. But over the past few months, Malaysia has cemented itself as one of the key American partners in the ongoing war on the Islamic State.
This is not a natural or easy position for the Muslim-majority nation to take. There are significant differences in the counterterrorism approaches Malaysia and the United States adopt, and aspects of American foreign policy in the Middle East – including lingering memories of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks – remain deeply unpopular domestically in Malaysia.
But Kuala Lumpur’s current commitment, which was highlighted recently during U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to the country for the latest round of Asian summitry, reflects the seriousness of the Islamic State threat both generally and for Malaysia in particular.
Read the full story at The Diplomat