American officials have become “very concerned” with the Taliban’s position in Pakistan, the New York Times reports.
Taliban forces control the Swat district in northern Pakistan. They moved into the Buner district just south of Swat and closer to Islamabad, the capital. Pakistan’s government sent out a small unit that was pushed back by the Taliban.
This has led American officials to doubt the ability of the state to fight the Taliban. “The government is too worried about its own political survival to take on the militants,” a Defense Department official said.
Pakistan was one of America’s allies during the early stages of the War on Terror. But the state didn’t have control over all its territory, particularly the rugged mountains of the north. North-west Pakistan became a safe haven for the Taliban.
Last September, President Bush authorized attacks into this part of Pakistan.
During last year’s campaign, President Obama said he would strike the Taliban in Pakistan if necessary.
Will the Afghan war be waged in Pakistan? Will the Pakistani government help or hinder U.S. forces?
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