Pakistan strikes at the Taliban

[PLC1]

Pakistan Pounds Taliban, Swelling Tide of Refugees

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistani Army pressed a surprisingly vigorous offensive on Friday against the Taliban militants who had taken control of a broad swath of territory northwest of the capital, sending tens of thousands of Pakistanis fleeing the fighting.

There have been a number of indications over the past week that the Pakistani Army has finally decided to confront the militants forcefully, though previous hopes, dating back five years, have always been dashed. The uncertainties included whether the army, even if it wanted to, was competent enough to deliver a deathblow to the militants or whether defeating them would come at such a high cost to civilians that it would further erode public support.

This is a turn of events that does, at least, raise some hopes.

What do you think? Will the Pakistanis be successful at routing the Taliban?

What do you think the US response should be?

 

[The Scotsman]

What do you think? Will the Pakistanis be successful at routing the Taliban?

I would imagine that containment would be a better goal? These NWF tribes are deeply religious whilst the rest of Pakistan does not hold with the Taliban interpretation - a clash of culture within a culture.

What do you think the US response should be?

.....this is the result of the US response. Obama wanted the Pakistan government to re-assert itself over these frontier provinces where government writ is weak and law is that of the holder of the gun. The US wanted the advance of the Taliban within Pakistan halted, contained and dealt with....this is whats happening now.

The losers of course are the poor civilians, as usual...........SNAFU