Secret U.S. Unit Trains Commandos in Pakistan reports the NYT. This on the same day as the Pakistani Foreign Minister comes to Washington for Obama's strategic review, i.e. to receive orders. It comes on top of the recent announcement that U.S. killer drones are launched from Pakistani ground.
All these leaks are done to put pressure on the Pakistani government to go with the U.S. program without regard of its own people. With each day losing more respect in his own country through such leaks Zardari will soon solely depend on U.S. support to survive.
His recent peace offer to opposition fighters in Swat was a smart move. But in the 'west' it was immediately criticized and he will now be pressured to continue the fighting there.
For some background on the complicate sovereign and legal issues in Swat this (pdf) analysis by Sultan-i-Rome, a history Professor in Peshawar, is helpful.
The 'western' interference neglects that the people in Swat do have real grievance with the central government. Swat was a independent state/kingdom within Pakistan until 1969. The area had its own mild version of Sharia, Islam based law, and its own system of courts. The secular justice system the Pakistani government introduced in Swat since 1975 is unworkable as it takes years to get any case through the court system. The laws are unrepresentative:
[T]he area’s constitutional status has also created a sort of diarchy: the area is a Provincially Administered Tribal Area and hence, under the control of the provincial government, which is responsible for the maintenance of law and order. But the provincial government has no authority to make and promulgate laws for the area on its own. This is done with the consent of and by the governor of the province and president of the country; both of whom are neither part of the provincial government nor answerable to it. They are not answerable to the people either.
The fighting over a local justice system has continued since the early 1990s and has little to do with the Taliban issues in Afghanistan. A compromise in Swat could actually help to take away support from Wahabbi/Deobandi hardliners that are at the core of the Taliban.
Even without 'western' interference a compromise as now in negotiation will not be easy to achieve as there are already many other possible spoilers. Pressure on Zardari on this issue can only increase the strife in Pakistan and speed up his downfall.
What is Washington's Plan B when that happens?