I still believe the major front in the War On Terror is moving from Iraq, where al-Qaeda is being hunted down by the Arab/Muslim Iraqis, to the Northern regions of Pakistan – where many of the fighters from the Middle East seemed to have retreated to. Right now the major thrust is pushing the Islamo Fascists from the Swat Valley – a resort area which the terrorists over ran in an apparent answer to Bin Laden’s September call to take over Pakistan. It seems to me this is al-Qaeda’s last chance to regain a semblance of credibility. If they fail in Pakistan they will have failed in all their objectives and the Muslim community will continue to turn on them for all the Muslim blood they have spilt without any benefit to Muslims.

On the Swat front the Pakistani forces seem to be doing well enough – but this may be because the area is built on tourism from around the world and may not have a solid base of Islamic Extremism to give the terrorist support.

About 220 militants have been killed and more than 50 arrested in the ongoing offensive in Pakistan’s northern Sawat valley since the military took command and control from the law-enforcement agencies after President Pervez Musharraf proclaimed the state of emergency in the operation, said an official here Sunday.

…

He said the arrested foreigners are of Afghan and Uzbek origins.

The spokesman also said no major activity has been taking place in the region over the past two days and that the operation has been successful.

He said normal life has been restored, the population is coming back to their houses, and militias have been dismantled.

…

The operation, launched against supporters of Maulana Fazlullah, has killed two local commanders including Fazlullah’s brother and took control of dozens of villages and police stations that Islamists had captured.

It seems the locals in the area are turning in militants fleeing the valley – which is reminiscent of how the Iraqis rose up to resist al-Qaeda this year and clear their areas of Bin Laden’s butchers.

If the Swat Valley is being cleared, then operations will again focus on the Waziristan provinces that include the lawless tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. That area is much tougher since it is the birth place of the Taliban in many respects. It is also one possible area Bin Laden and Zawahiri – al-Qaeda’s top leaders – may be hiding out.

On the political front things have become much worse. Benazir Bhutto, the former woman Prime Minister (wonder what the Islamists think of that) who was originally held out as possible successor to current President Musharraf, has been attempting to reach out to the militants in possible violation of her agreements with Musharraf and America to not ally with the terrorists:

Pakistan’s former prime minister Benazir Bhutto took her election campaign to the power base of Islamist groups on Saturday, urging Pashtuns living on the Afghan border to vote for her.

Bhutto, who survived an assassination attempt blamed on Islamist militants last month, said she was confident her Pakistan People’s Party would sweep the January 8 general election.

“I have come here to seek your help and cooperation to turn this land of Pashtuns into a cradle of peace,” she said while addressing around 2,000 party activists in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province that borders Afghanistan.

“I appeal to you not to fall into the trap of those who believe in violence … Reject those who want to form the government at gunpoint.”

She may be doing her part, though, by pushing for democratic reform versus violence. This area of the world will be the toughest to crack and turn from violence – but the world was able to punish Japan and Germany back into line so I am sure it can be done. The question is can it be done without the show of some need to see in order to realize they need to give up on using force themselves.

There is good news in Afghanistan as well, as that country is about ready to achieve its initial goal of a 70,000 strong national army. But there is reasonable discussion to raise that number to closer to 200,000 to ensure security against internal and external threats. Which is what we should be doing if Congress and NATO nations would provide the resources to do so. Seem Congress is willing to again to Bin Laden’s bidding by holding up funds for Afghanistan (and Iraq) – which is what Bin Laden recently asked for Europe to do. Europe is declining, our far left Congress is complying. Go figure.

The good news in my mind is US Special forces are now in Pakistan, ostensibly as trainers. But it is clear something has helped the Pakistan Army become much more effective in the battles in the Swat Valley, and I am sure they are getting intelligence and other support from America. Swat is very close to the capitol of Islamabad, and I am sure everyone realizes the nuclear armed Pakistan cannot fall to the Islamo Fascists.

I mentioned before the news Pakistan is allowing these US Special Forces broader permissions to operate – ?including taking out high value targets. President Bush confirmed again just recently the US policy to act if we discover al-Qaeda or Taliban leadership hideouts:

US President George W. Bush has said that he will still send American troops into Pakistan if he gets actionable intelligence that Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders are hiding somewhere in the country.

Last year, Mr Bush caused uproar in Pakistan when he declared that he would authorise direct US military action if he had evidence that senior Al Qaeda leaders were hiding somewhere in the country.

Later, US officials assured Pakistan that while they retained the option to target Al Qaeda leaders anywhere in the world, they would take no action that could destabilise a friendly government.

In an interview to CNN on Wednesday evening, Mr Bush was reminded of his earlier declaration and asked if this was still his position. “Yes,” he said.

“Has not changed?” the interviewer asked. “No, has not changed,” said Mr Bush.

With al-Qaeda massing in the Pakistan and Afghanistan regions from which it was created, after being chased out of 2 newly claimed capitol cities of its modern caliphate centered in Iraq (Ramadi and Baquba), it would seem the forces of evil are massing for a final battle here soon. One which they know they cannot win. But if they are good martyrs they will stand up and fight us to their death. And justice for the acts of 9-11 will be served.