End Games in Pakistan
The Pakistani Taliban’s campaign of terror over the past few months in the Swat Valley now threatens Islamabad. With civilians suffering under the iron hand of Taliban fighters, Pakistanis were beginning to wonder if their government would continue to look the other way. Apparently the answer is no.
Taliban militants may have committed a grave mistake by alienating so many Pakistanis. It allows President Zardari to tell the world that he gave the Taliban an opportunity to lay down their arms and live peacefully in the Swat Valley, but they refused. Ordering the army to intervene should improve Mr. Zardari’s standing inside his country.
The US Air Force has deployed a fleet of unmanned aerial drones over the skies of northern Pakistan. These new weapons provide enormous tactical advantages to their owners. The drones can see through clouds in the middle of the night, track enemy fighters for hours at time from two miles in the sky and use heat signatures to identify recently fired weapons. Drone pilots fire on targets inside Pakistan while sitting in front of computer screens on military bases inside the US. The US military also plans to put more boots on the ground in Afghanistan this summer.
Pakistani soldiers will receive intelligence and logistical support from their allies. International humanitarian organizations will provide food and shelter to displaced Pakistanis. The Taliban has far less capacity to withstand a war of attrition. The coming offensive should test Taliban fighters, but they’ve proven to be resilient in the past.
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