Petraeus Rolls The Dice

It's difficult to interpret this article as anything other than Gen. David Petraeus is quietly hoping for a military coup in Pakistan.

Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, has told U.S. officials the next two weeks are critical to determining whether the Pakistani government will survive, FOX News has learned.

"The Pakistanis have run out of excuses" and are "finally getting serious" about combating the threat from Taliban and Al Qaeda extremists operating out of Northwest Pakistan, the general added.

But Petraeus also said wearily that "we've heard it all before" from the Pakistanis and he is looking to see concrete action by the government to destroy the Taliban in the next two weeks before determining the United States' next course of action, which is presently set on propping up the Pakistani government and military with counterinsurgency training and foreign aid.

Petraeus made these assessment in talks with lawmakers and Obama administration officials this week, according to individuals familiar with the discussions.

They said Petraeus and senior administration officials believe the Pakistani army, led by Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, is "superior" to the civilian government, led by President Ali Zardari, and could conceivably survive even if Zardari's government falls to the Taliban.

American officials have watched with anxiety as Taliban fighters advanced earlier this month to within 70 miles of the capital city of Islamabad. In recent days, the Pakistani army has sought to reverse that tide, retaking control over strategic points in the district of Buner even as the Taliban struck back by kidnapping scores of police and paramilitary troops.

Translation of the good General: "Will no one rid me of this troublesome civilian government in these next, oh, let's say two weeks?"

This is amazing. Petraeus is publicly saying that it's better to have a military coup and an army strongman in charge of Pakistan and its nuclear arsenal than the legitimately elected civilian government. Not only that, the article strongly implies that the US military would not only rather see Gen. Asfaq Kayani running the country, but that we wouldn't defend that democracy from Kayani should he take over.

Matt Yglesias has more:

I think it’s worth at least considering the possibility that part of the reason the Pakistani military has been performing so poorly against the Taliban is that they’re hoping the United States will react this way and start welcoming a coup to replace the “ineffective” civilian government. After all, United States pressure played an important role in easing the military out of power recently. But the American security establishment seems to have hit upon the slightly bizarre notion that the appropriate response to the Pakistan military’s unwillingness or inability to effectively provide security for the country is that we should welcome them taking over all government responsibilities. Call me skeptical.

It seems obvious to me. This is our brilliant plan in Pakistan: to stand by and possibly allow a military coup to take over the country because it's the only way to convince the Pakistani Army to take out the Taliban.

Which means either the Pakistani army doesn't have a problem with the Taliban being around, or the Pakistani Army is 100% sure the US military is backing them.