Crackdown On Taliban Shifts U.S.-Pakistan Ties

A series of Pakistani army offensives against domestic militants and a string of arrests of senior Afghan Taliban members signal a new understanding between Pakistan and the United States.  In an interview on NPR, Samina Ahmed of the Ploughshares-funded International Crisis Group says the Pakistani military leadership has deftly reframed the war on extremists — replacing the American mantra of "do more" with their own rhetoric: "This is our war, this is not just yours. This has not been thrust upon us. We are willing to do this for our own sake."  Still, Ahmed says that Pakistan's relations with militant commanders remain intact. "While there's been some action taken on some Taliban groups, there hasn't been action taken against the Kashmir-based, the India-based jihadis, some Afghan insurgents as well, such as the Haqqani network."