Pakistan

U.S. Eyes Signs of Progress

Holbrooke praises country's security efforts.

Arriving in Islamabad on Saturday, Richard Holbrooke, the president's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, praised the increased security efforts of the Pakistan military along its border with Afghanistan. The envoy said the fact that he is able to focus on economic and social issues during his visit is a sign of the success that the Pakistan military is having in the Swat and Burner valleys. "If you compare the situation in Pakistan today to what it was in March and April, there's been a dramatic change," Holbrooke said. Perhaps the biggest sign of that change came recently with the apparent killing of Baitullah Mehsud, the Taliban's leader in Pakistan. The greatest gains may be a result of convincing Pakistan to change its focus from its neighbor India to the Taliban threat within its own borders.