Remember, that this whole mess of Taliban invading Buner, killing a Pakistani police officer, and Pakistan retaliating by attacking an area with only modest militant activity started right after the Pakistani government surrendered to the demands of the Taliban. Well, now the Taliban say that their “deal” is “worthless” after the Pakistani armed forces used helicopters and artillery in the Lower Dir region looking for militants who were hiding out. The Taliban stronghold is the Swat Valley bordering Afghanistan but Pakistan is currently simply trying to contain them there by finding Taliban militants in neighboring districts. Operation Taliban Whac-a-Mole continuing splendidly.

The lesson? Appeasement does not work.

On cue, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari used this opportunity to ask for aid money in order to defeat the Taliban. I think (like Hillary Clinton) that Pakistan is not taking this threat seriously, especially in light of the fact that the Pakistani military has been training for war with India which allegedly included the training of guerrillas in Kashmir. I think they are well-equipped to deal with an insurgency on their own soil, especially one without popular support in the rest of Pakistan. Like I have said before, it is in the interest of Pakistan’s enemies (e.g. India) for Pakistan to stay in a state of civil war… so I would assume that if Pakistan’s leadership was interested in joining the rest of the regional and world powers then they would put their serious faces on and strike at the heart of the Taliban instead of the periphery. As an inducement, the US could offer aid money, but only AFTER the Pakistani army is neck deep in fighting the Taliban.

-AG