Last week I posted on the Taliban threat sweeping across Pakistan in what was a two-week long attack on its nuclear-armed government ("Who is Afraid of the Taliban?"). In a long telegraphed move, the Pakistani army responded, with 30,000 troops entering the "militant mini-state" of South Waziristan in recent days.

Sherry Rehman, a Pakistani parliament member, had a striking quote in the Washington Post:  “There has to be consensus in the face of what is clearly now a war.  We have to treat this as a battle for Pakistan’s survival” ("Pakistan Launches Full-Scale Offensive"). Having traveled to Pakistan several times, I agree. The Taliban surely views this as a death match, promising to fight to “the last drop of blood.”  Its 10,000+ fighters are strongly resisting. For an army historically aimed at India, this is a novel operation, and psychologically challenging. Its ranks include Taliban sympathizers. With foreign journalists banned from the area, reporting is skimpy.   

I met with Sherry Rehman last spring in Washington, having a long conversation with this impressive woman.  She reported how she was the only one to stand-up in parliament and oppose the government's shortsighted truce last winter with the Taliban in the Swat Valley.  She described how militant tentacles stretch deep into Punjab, the country's most populous and wealthiest province. She painted a very dire picture of the challenge.   

That more Pakistanis seem to be taking Sherry's viewpoint is promising. But as counterterrorism expert Bruce Hoffman notes – “Something like this has to be sustained and not only go through North and South Waziristan... For Pakistan, it’s just a starting point.”  The Taliban is all in. What about the government?  The battle for Pakistan's survival is on.