New Delhi: The Pakistani Army appears to have cast aside its gloves in Swat. As heavy artillery shelled Taliban positions in Mingora, helicopter gunships went into action strafing and rocketing Tailban strongholds in Khwazakhel and Qambar. There have even been reports of Taliban fighters occupying government offices in Saidu Sharif.
Authorities are bracing for a massive exodus of civilians from the conflict zone - as many as 5 lakh.
The crackdown was well-timed. President Zardari is in Washington seeking financial aid and military assistance from President Obama and in an interview to CNN, he dismissed reports that the Taliban could take over Pakistan.
"They can't take over. Nothing should concern anybody as far as nuclear arsenal or other instruments of such sort are concerned," Zardari said in the interview.
He was ambivalent about sharing with the US, the location of Pakistan's nuclear weapons and cautious about an Army coup against his government.
"Whenever we had a coup d'etat, whenever we had a dictator, he was always supported by you, as in the United States," Zardari stated in the interview.
The US is readying to hand over five helicopters to Pakistan for counter insurgency purposes. It is pushing for more military and economic assistance but the US Congress is sceptical.
Congressman Ackerman said, "Pakistan's pants are on fire."
Much will depend on how the first trilateral dialogue progresses between Presidents Obama, President Zardari and Afghanistan's Karzai. But the doubts about Pakistan's ability and willingness to deliver in the war against the Taliban will remain.
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