Pakistan does not only have the image of being ground zero of today’s insurgent militant terror, the country also comes across as being on the brink of defeat to Islamist jihadists. The Taliban rebellion seems to have ‘consumed large chunks of territory in the northwest and was striking at the country’s core.’ Moreover, the country’s government seems to be unwilling or incapable of fighting the Islamists that have compromised the country’s security and stability.

With the recent spate of counterinsurgency attacks that drove the Taliban from their formerly occupied strongholds, Pakistan surprised the world with its focus on its counterinsurgency campaign. Though the Taliban have not been totally eradicated, Pakistan has shown the world that it has ‘gained the upper hand in the struggle.’ Furthermore, that it can do so if it wants to.

Pakistan’s newfound decisiveness to pulverize the enemy came with the country’s realization that the Swat Taliban was actually extending its power beyond their turf. This led to the late April government action called Operation Rah-i-Rast which focused on ‘eliminating the Taliban stronghold in the Swat region.’

PR efforts coupled the military operations. The country ‘took advantage of the budding public opinion against the jihadists and launched a major media campaign against “Talibanization” that proved extremely useful.’

Internal instability, an economy on the verge of collapse, and pressure from the US prodded Pakistan to act massively against the Taliban rebels. ‘The stakeholders in Islamabad had begun to realize that there was no alternative to fighting the Taliban rebels.’

It helped, of course, that millions of dollars in aid from the US helped the country’s ailing economy, in exchange for finally striking the Taliban down – all in all, a win-win situation.

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Via STRATFOR