ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's decision to send thousands of troops to the remote northern tribal regions marks a fundamental shift in government policy. For decades, the regions have been closed to the outside world, ruled by local leaders who have defied the efforts of the central government to expand its control. Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's decision to take on the ferociously independent tribes, apparently at the prompting of the United States, merits both appreciation and criticism.
Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, has been at the forefront of the U.S.-backed war against terrorism. He has ordered his troops to take on al-Qaeda members fleeing U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. In the process, Musharraf has ignored angry criticism from key opposition leaders.
In a recent encounter, dozens of casualties occurred when Pakistani troops battled well-armed Islamic militants who sought refuge in the tribal areas. For Pakistan's tribesmen, giving refuge to fellow Muslims is a matter of honor and tradition. For Musharraf, who survived two assassination attempts in December, ordering his troops to the tribal areas is a big gamble.