Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan, has replied to the current pressure on his government by reflecting on "the challenge of confronting terrorists." In an editorial printed in the New York Times, Zardari discusses both the global scale of the current war against extremists and the particular price that Pakistan that has had to pay for the world's past exploit of religion. Zardari is referring to the past strategy of "empowering the most fanatic extremists" (Mujahidin in Afghanistan) to combat the Soviets. This exploitation of religion in the past has led to the creation of a new extremist militia (Taliban and al Qaeda) that has their "own dynamic." Zardari makes a simple but excellent point that terrorists are all "connected by ideology," and therefore, they should be "battled collectively." The underlying point of the editorial is that India and Pakistan (as well as the United States) should coordinate their responses and stop all unnecessary accusations. The world should also recognize and respect the massive war, which Pakistan has been undertaking against terrorists. "Nearly 2,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives to terrorism in this year alone, including 1,400 civilians and 600 security personnel."
