Positive Change in Pakistan

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is calling the United States' review of it's strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan as "positive change." Anytime the president of Pakistan says that we are doing something positive is a good time to see what we are doing wrong. There are positive things that President Obama is doing in Afghanistan, for example since becoming president Obama has ordered 21,000 troops to Afghanistan and recently announced that he was going to send 4,000 more troops into Afghanistan. This is all good. He said, "I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future, that's the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just." It seems that President Obama is taking the right steps in Afghanistan, but what about Pakistan?

President Obama has also had some positive action inside Pakistan. He has continued the same policy as President Bush regarding drone attacks inside of Pakistan killing al qaeda members. On the other hand, President Obama has called on Congress to give Pakistan $7.5 billion in military and economic aid over the next five years. He says that Pakistan will not receive a "blank check." President Obama has warned that al qaeda is planning attacks against the United States from secret havens in Pakistan. Last month Pakistan allowed the Taliban to institute Islamic Law in Swat, Pakistan. It seems that Pakistan surrendering part of its territory to the Taliban could be a good haven to not only launch attacks in Afghanistan, but also to plan attacks against the United States. It's a good haven, and not even a secret one. Not only is Pakistan allowing the Taliban a safe haven, they are also pay the Taliban $6 million in compensation for members of the Taliban who were killed by Pakistan. The United States has privately backed the peace deal with the Taliban while publicly criticizing it. This means that the United States has supported Pakistan in giving millions of dollars to the Taliban and allowing them to institute Islamic Law, the very same Islamic Law that they were exercising in Afghanistan before September 11th.

Below are some good videos about the Taliban in Swat.





Real positive change would be for the United States to not support Pakistan until Pakistan stops supporting the Taliban.