Its Ahmad from Pakistan. The recent advances by Pakistan military in the Swat valley are very encouraging still i have little hope that the peace will last for a long time. The world needs to understand that the real problem is within Afghanistan where the presence of foreign troops is exaggerating both Afghanistan and Pakistan. I fear that the world is trying to stabilize Afghanistan at the cost of destabilizing nuclear Pakistan.

The truth is i dislike both the military and Taliban. Still, there is no solution to this problem without indulging Taliban into a dialogue. Without a clear strategy, this war will bring more destruction and misery to the life of innocent people, which in return may result in a more illiterate population so called 'extremists'.

The past strategy of killing innocent civilians along with a few militants guaranteed that we would never win the war. I think that now we finally have the right strategy. The approach of protecting the innocent, and in doing so gradually gaining their cooperation and trust, improving the quality of their lives, and training the Afgani's to take ownership of the war against the Taliban will eventually defeat them. They are, by most reports, hated by the majority of the population who see them for the thugs that they are. But we have to be patient. We could be there for ten more years, but the permanent destruction of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban will be worth it. There is really no alternative. If we don't defeat them they will gradually gather strength and cause even more trouble than they are now.

The trouble in Pakistan is another issue. There are many Pakistani's who want to see the Taliban, and to a lesser extent, Al-Qaeda, destroyed but the many years of support for the Taliban by the army and security forces has created attachments that may never be completely severed. Efforts by Pakistani forces to defeat the Taliban are and will continue to be hamstrung by information leaks and stumbling blocks placed in their paths by these sympathizers. The closer Pakistani forces get to victory over the Taliban, the greater is the pressure in their highest ranks to ease up on them allowing them to survive.

General Nadeem Ahmad suggests negotiations with the Taliban, but such past efforts by the Pakistani's themselves ended up with all those who agreed to truces or compromises on behalf of the Taliban eventually being murdered by their more militant comrades – after first using the lull in the fighting to re-group, re-arm and re-supply themselves. Obama might decide that we have to negotiate with them just to show the world that we are reasonable people using every avenue to find a just solution, but we should never delude ourselves into thinking that they can be trusted. If talks are entered into, we need to continue fighting as we talk, without the slightest reduction in our military efforts.

Well, all i can say is that the U.S and Pakistan MUST work together to push these extremists out of the nation of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

My solution would be that the United States would push the extremists over the boarder of Pakistan, and then while the Taliban are retreating over the boarder, the Pakistani military would start a major offensive to stop the extremists from retreating into Pakistan. that would be a "2 front battle" with the U.S and its Allies fighting the Taliban and other insurgents from the west, and the Pakistani military and their Allies pushing back the Taliban from the east. Perfect solution for a crush on the Taliban and, meanwhile, decreasing the number drone attacks killing civilians. It would be a hard battle solution, but it would work. 1 big offensive. But first, Pakistan needs to work with the U.S, or vise versa.

Well it would also be nice if the ISI stopped funding the Taliban behind Pakistan's back. That is if they are still able to do this...and isn't Musharaf still president?
Pakistan helped to creat a monster it let get out of control. Now Al Qaeda, which used to be a hero to Pakistani people, is helping to fight the pakistani government.

A battle for whose soul?The Pakistani soul died a long time ago.

President Karzai can not solve the Taliban and terrorist problem. [Here's]why:
1- his knowledge of international and specially regional is few.
2- He was and is a part afghan warlord and drugs smuggle
3- He is a very weak person he is scar[ed] of war lord and drugs smuggler and do everything say . he give the key government post to this people.
4- His government is the worlds 5 corrupted government.
5- 31 Billion international aid to afghanistan is going to Mr. Karzai, governor, director, advisor, and other high rank governmental employee where as 45 % of afghan people living under poverty rank.
6- there are 36 million people in afghanistan whereas the nation business and economy is in the hand of 60 Prs. Karzai's families.
I believe the only person who can lead this nation at this time who is Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai please check his website
http://ashrafghani.af