Pakistan Launches Offensive
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/26/pakistan.taliban/index.html
After a terrible week last week, where the Taliban came within hours of Islamabad, Pakistan military forces appear to be starting an offensive against Taliban and other Islamist forces in the Western territories.
This comes as Pakistan’s Frontier Corps launched an offensive against suspected militants and their hideouts in Lower Dir, which neighbors the violence-plagued Swat. There were reports of many Taliban deaths, including an “important local commander.” One security force member was killed and four others were wounded, the military said.
This is significant for several reasons. Since the civilian government took over last year, they have been reluctant to press the issue in the AFPAK border region. However, Lower Dir is one of the districts included in the recent peace deal between the government and the Taliban. Whether this means an end to the negotiated peace deal with the Taliban in Swat and surrounding areas is uncertain.
Frankly, we must hold judgement. The Pakistanis often have short term military incursions, and then do not follow it up with any significant long term planning. This threat is different.
First, the government must face a threat from within: The ISI. Even Zardari does not trust his own intelligence services. For example, the ISI believes Osama Bin Laden is dead…although the rest of the government has no faith in their intelligence services to believe such a claim. There is a war going on not only in Western Pakistan, but within the government services as well.
Unless the Pakistani military is committed to forcing anti-government forces out, they will ultimately fail. The Taliban is excellent at running and hiding, and living for another day. Therefore, clearing them out in a temporary manner is useless, as Americans have found in Afghanistan. Ultimately to be successful, they will need to have a ‘conquer and hold’ mentality similar to what the U.S. finally adopted in places like Iraq. The longterm stability of Pakistan may be at stake.
It appears there may be some cojones left in Pakistan after all. Here is a foreign armed invasive force against the legitimate government of Pakistan being run by religious extremists that want to nullify the government, imposing their own type of laws on all by force. Pakistan is quick to oppose armed invaders, but lacks the will to oppose these religious thugs. The only way to control what happens in their country is to have total control of all of its territory.