Whose Side Are They On?
The news that Pakistan has signed a deal with pro-Taliban militants in Waziristan may indicate to some a process of realpolitik; if you can't beat them, which the authorities couldn't, then find a compromise.
However, contrast this with the killing last week of anti-Taliban separatist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Baloch and the situtaion is thrown into relief.
The question that would be on my lips if I walked into my office in the Pentagon this morning would be: "So whose side are they on? Are they anti-Taliban or pro-Taliban? How are they going to enforce this anyway?"
The answer to the third question is probably: "They can't":
Under the accord, the Pakistani military promises to end major operations in the area...
Local Taleban supporters, in turn, have pledged not to harbour foreign militants, launch cross-border raids or attack Pakistani government troops or facilities.
Observers say meeting these conditions could be difficult, as the Taleban has support on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border.
It's all the stranger when one considers that it's a good bet that Osama bin Ladin and Mullah Omar are both holed up somewhere in Waziristan, harboured by Taliban sympathisers.
As one of the US's key allies in the 'War on Terror' it appears to be something of a paradoxical policy which may only make things more difficult for embattled NATO troops in Helmand, who are taking casualties by the day.
Pakistan 'Taleban' in peace deal
Pakistan has signed a deal with pro-Taleban militants on the Afghan border aimed at ending years of unrest.
The North Waziristan accord calls on tribesmen to expel foreign militants and end cross-border attacks in return for a reduced military presence.
Tens of thousands of Pakistani forces are fighting foreign Islamic militants and their local supporters in the country's restive tribal belt.
Hundreds of people have been killed in violence in North Waziristan this year.
The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says some observers believe the deal offers the government an exit from a military strategy that has largely failed.
Dozens of soldiers have been killed in North Waziristan over the past year and local support for the Taleban seems to have increased rather than decreased, she says.
The agreement brokered by a grand council (jirga) of tribal elders is the first of its kind since Pakistani troops went after Taleban and al-Qaeda elements on the Afghan border.
Senior army officers and militants hugged and congratulated each other after signing the agreement at a college football ground in Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan region.
Details of the deal signed by the two sides were given in a brief speech by local MP Haji Nek Zaman, a member of the council of elders which was authorised to negotiate on behalf of the Pakistani government.
Under the accord, the Pakistani military promises to end major operations in the area.
It will pull most of its soldiers back to military camps, but will still operate border check-points.
Over the summer the military met other conditions, releasing a number of tribesmen in an apparent goodwill gesture to the militants and withdrawing soldiers from new check-posts.
Local Taleban supporters, in turn, have pledged not to harbour foreign militants, launch cross-border raids or attack Pakistani government troops or facilities.
Observers say meeting these conditions could be difficult, as the Taleban has support on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border.
Mr Zaman said there would also be an end to "targeted killings" of suspected informers, or tribal elders who work with the authorities.
The agreement comes ahead of a visit by President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan to Afghanistan which is expected to take place later this week.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have been strained in recent months because of differences in tackling what both refer to as cross-border terrorism.
