On Buner: The Most Reliable Eyes in Pakistan

For those following the events in Pakistan, this is the point at which my former colleagues Carlotta Gall and Zahid Hussain are worth their weight in gold. In the New York Times, Carlotta weighs in with an eye-witness report from the outskirts of the fighting in Buner, where Pakistani commandos are attempting to take back the city from the Taliban. From Islamabad for the Times of London, Zahid provides his usual first-rate analysis of why the Taliban capture of Buner represented a strategic foothold that Pakistan’s Army could not accept if it intended to hold on to power. He points out the chess moves that would doubtlessly follow. Meanwhile, Farhan Bokhari and James Lamont at the Financial Times report that -- in order to allay Western fears of nuclear weapons falling into Taliban hands -- Pakistan has briefed Western officials on safeguards it has in place. There is a lot of hot air out there; I myself will stick with the minds that have proven reliable over the last decade and more.