Why Pakistan Balks At Taking A Tougher Line On The Taliban

Taliban fighters stand on a hillside at Maydan Shahr
in Wardak province, west of Kabul. AFP / Getty

From Time:

The key element in President Barack Obama's Afghanistan strategy is getting Pakistan to fight the Taliban on its side of the border. But despite the Administration demanding a more concerted effort against militants on Pakistani soil as a condition for further aid to Pakistan's military — and warnings by Centcom commander General David Petraeus and others that the Taliban threatens to destroy Pakistan as a state — many in Washington and beyond are skeptical that Pakistan will cooperate.

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My Comment: The reason why Pakistan balks at taking a tougher line on the Taliban is very clear .... they are one and the same. Who wants to fight against your cousins .... your friends .... your immediate family .... no one. That is the problem with Pakistan .... the Taliban has members who can easily switch from one side to the other .... how can you fight an enemy that you cannot differentiate from your friends. The answer is that you cannot. This is the reason why Pakistan is not going to be hard on the Taliban. They will be tough to the extreme extremists .... but that is about it.