Since January 2005 Pakistan's Baluchistan province has been embroiled in a rash of violence that threatens to deteriorate into civil war. Is this recent violence yet another recurrence of state-periphery tensions, or is it a qualitatively new phenomenon which threatens U.S. and Pakistan interests in the region? This thesis analyzes the historical causes of Baluch political violence in order to determine why Baluchistan is again enmeshed in bloody conflict. Violence in Baluchistan historically has been the product of several factors: a fiercely independent Baluch people that eschew outside interference; the lasting legacy of British policy; mismanagement by ruling Pakistani regimes; and historical grievances that have allowed Baluch leaders to mobilize support for their nationalist cause. The argument of this thesis, however, is that the particular timing of the most recent surge of violence in Baluchistan is a result of a change in the relationship between the central government and Baluchistan brought about by the province's growing strategic significance. While the United States currently views the conflict in Baluchistan as an internal matter, growing violence and continued instability in a region where the presence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda is widespread makes this a crisis worthy of U.S. attention.
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