The Pakistanis have been reluctant to move against these guys in the past, and have done so ineffectually and half-heartedly when they did. So what's changed? Obama? It would be tempting to think so, but I think there must be more to it than that.

I also get the impression that US missile raids in Pakistan have been getting less resistance and complaints from the local government than in the past, and seem to have stepped up lately. Are the Pakistanis finally waking up to the dangers of these guys?

Are the Taliban simply losing their grip because of the increased tempo of operations in the Afghan spring offfensive as we move into the summer months? And the very dangerous (for the US) Taliban strategy of going after US supply lines in Pakistan seems to have tapered off in the last few months. This was paying big dividends for them, why have they had to pull back?

I mentioned some weeks ago that I suspected that the character of that theater was subtly changing. I wonder if I am really seeing progress here or is it just wishful thinking?