What if there were a major development in the war on terror and nobody paid attention? Well, it would still be a major development in the war on terror. The event in question is a offensive by Pakistan’s army against the Taliban’s haven in South Waziristan. Pakistan’s government is playing this down by merely calling it a move to “reinforce” positions in Waziristan, and by formally denying that an “offensive” has been launched at all. But this rhetoric is pretty clearly designed to prevent a backlash by Pakistan’s many Islamist sympathizers.

Important development, indeed. Somehow, though, I find the notion that a key battle front against global jihad is being fought by Pakistan less than comforting.