Pakistani Successes May Sway U.S. Troop Decision - NYT

Source: NYTimes

Pakistani Successes May Sway U.S. Troop Decision
By SABRINA TAVERNISE and ERIC SCHMITT
Published: November 17, 2009


SARAROGHA, Pakistan — This windswept, sand-colored town in the badlands of western Pakistan is empty now, cleared of the militants who once claimed it as their capital. But its brick buildings, intact and thick with dust, tell not of an epic battle, but of sudden flight.

A month after the Pakistani military began its push into the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, militants appear to have been dispersed, not eliminated, with most simply fleeing. That recurring pattern illustrated the problems facing the Obama administration as it enters its final days of a decision on its strategy for Afghanistan.

Success in this region, in the remote mountains near the Afghan border, could have a direct bearing on how many more American troops are ultimately sent to Afghanistan, and how long they must stay.

Pakistan has shown increased willingness to tackle the problem, launching sweeping operations in the north and west of the country this year, but American officials are still urging it to do more, most recently in a letter from President Obama to Pakistan’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, over the weekend.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/world/asia/18pstan.html?_r=1&hp

Or maybe the better question is, what is moving the military to work with the Pakistani government?

/oops

the split between the ISI and militants.