Re: Concerns about the Swat operation
The approach would be counterproductive if all they were doing was hitting from a distance, and providing no announcement that a military strike would be taking place, thereby trapping Pakistani civilians in line of fire. That's not the case. The only thing I would critique, and as I'm not on the ground, so maybe this is already happening, is that the Pakistani army needs to improve its counter-guerrilla warfare tactics.
I think the vast majority of Pakistanis deem this to be a necessary battle, even though nobody likes seeing innocent people killed accidentally. The areas where fighting is rough, civilians are being asked to leave. What's a burden for them, is that they're leaving most of their belongings and their homes behind, and they have no clue what will be left to them when they return, which is a harrowing experience for anyone. I hope to see more iniatives to give these people a proper temporary home in the meantime.