Pakistan finally at war with Taliban?

Washington Post:

Pakistan's prime minister told the nation Thursday that the armed forces were being "called in to eliminate the militants and terrorists" who have forcibly occupied part of the country's northwest, sending thousands of civilians fleeing from the region in the past week.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani's announcement, made in a late-night, televised address, signaled the final collapse of a fragile peace accord between the government and Taliban forces in the Swat region. It also represented the civilian government's formal green light for a full-fledged offensive by the military, which until now has been fighting sporadically.

Gillani called on all Pakistanis to unite behind the armed forces "to restore the honor and dignity" of the nation, the safety of citizens and the authority of the government. "We will defend every inch of our homeland at any cost," he declared.

Gillani's address came on another day of intense but scattered clashes. Military officials said the army and other security forces had attacked militant positions with warplanes, attack helicopters and tanks. They said that they killed at least 80 Taliban fighters in Swat and Buner districts, and that nine soldiers died in an ambush and other attacks. A son of a senior Islamist leader in Swat, Sufi Mohammed, was also reported to have been killed by army shelling.

Gillani spoke here as Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was finishing several days of talks in Washington with senior U.S. officials and leaders from neighboring Afghanistan in an effort to find a common strategy against the Islamist extremism that is afflicting both countries.

The announcement also came amid a massive exodus of civilians from the areas of Swat, Buner and Dir, where Taliban extremist forces have occupied villages and towns, attacked schools and police and terrorized the populace while trying to spread their radical version of Islam.

Gillani said the government has allocated $13 million to assist people fleeing from the area, in addition to assistance that is coming from the U.N. refugee agency and other charities. Camps have been set up in safe areas near the conflict zones, although Taliban fighters have blocked roads with trees and other barricades to prevent people from reaching them.

There was positive initial reaction to Gillani's speech from a variety of political leaders. Senior officials of the Awami National Party, which rules the North-West Frontier Province and sponsored the failed peace deal with the Taliban, said that the government had taken the proper action and that extremist leaders had proved to be "hypocrites" by rejecting repeated government concessions.

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Earlier Thursday, Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, the army chief, said the army would commit enough of its resources to "ensure a decisive ascendancy over the militants." He also told a meeting of senior commanders that the army was committed to supporting Pakistan's democracy, which returned last year after a decade of military rule.

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Kiyani's statement is troubling. Pakistan has shown will comprehension of what "enough of its resources" might be in dealing with the Taliban religious bigots. It clearly has never used enough resources to date. While it is using artillery and air power against the Taliban now, it appears to be just ratcheting up the whack a mole attacks. All the refugees suggest they have not committed enough force to protect the people in the area.

The political rhetoric does sound more serious this time. How long they live up to their words is still to be determined. For too long they have now taken this threat seriously.