ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Fierce fighting between the Pakistani Army and Taliban militants pushed a peace deal in a northwestern region close to collapse yesterday and drew warnings of more attacks by the insurgents.
Washington and other Western nations have criticized the three-month-old deal in the Malakand region, which is close to Afghanistan. They want Pakistan to crackdown on the insurgents - not talk to them - and are unlikely to mourn if the agreement breaks down.
Pakistan's embattled civilian government may find itself with more public support to fight the extremists if the deal ends. It could argue it has the moral high ground after offering the militants a compromise in good faith, only to see them reject it.
The developments come as Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and President Obama prepare to meet tomorrow in Washington for talks on how to sharpen Islamabad's antiterrorism fight. Zardari is expected to ask for more money to help his country's battered economy and underequipped security forces deal with militants.
Under the deal, the government agreed to impose Islamic law in the districts that make up Malakand with the hope that the militants would lay down arms. But the Taliban in Swat, the movement's stronghold, did not disarm and were emboldened, soon entering the adjacent Buner district to impose their harsh brand of Islam.
The proximity of Buner to the capital of Islamabad raised alarms, domestically and abroad. Pakistan's military went on the offensive over the past week to drive the Taliban out.
