Taming Pakistan's spies

What happened

Pakistan’s top general on Monday named a new chief for the country’s powerful intelligence agency, which has been tainted by historical ties to the Taliban and other Islamic extremist groups. (Los Angeles Times)

What the commentators said

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Let’s hope this marks the beginning of a sincere effort to defeat the terrorists, said The New York Times in an editorial. Pakistan has been playing a “cynical and dangerous game” for too long, taking American aid while helping the Taliban and other extremists. The recent bombing of the Islamabad Marriott showed there is no time to lose.

The U.S. is exaggerating the Taliban’s influence, said Samiullah Koreshi in the Pakistan Observer, to make it look like Pakistan can’t control terrorists. But the recent bombing of the Islamabad Marriott looked less like the Taliban’s handiwork than a CIA trick to justify its military operations inside Pakistan.

There’s no denying that the “political intrigues and shenanigans” of Pakistan’s intelligence service have “had devastating consequences,” said the Pakistani daily Dawn in an editorial. Well, Pakistan's army chief has just appointed a new head of intelligence—let's hope this marks the beginning of a sincere effort to defeat the terrorists.