AFP reports:

US President Barack Obama meets Wednesday with the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan, hoping to shore up the fight against Islamic extremism as concerns about the region mount.

The summit visibly showcases the new strategy of Obama, who says the United States must consider the neighboring countries together — rather than focus just on fighting Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in Afghanistan.

The meeting comes as challenges deepen for both Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, whose popularity and authority have been crumbling, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who is up against a growing Taliban-led insurgency.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the administration would have “some very intense sessions” with the Afghan and Pakistani delegations on the new US strategy in the region.

It is difficult not to interpret this as a ‘last chance’ for the civilian government in Islamabad.

Kabul’s cooperation is, of course, incredibly important. But the real superpower in the region is Pakistan. Pakistan has supported Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the past. Without Islamabad’s aid, the Taliban would not have succeeded in taking over after the Soviets were kicked out in the 1980s, and they would not have been able to hold on to power for more than a decade afterwards either.

If you truly want to defeat the Taliban, Islamabad has to be with you all the way.

And that is precisely the problem. Asif Ali Zardari has been unable or unwilling (or both) to truly destroy the extremist organization. The group has even increased its presence in Pakistan’s tribal region. Instead of kicking them out of the country, Zardari agreed to make Sharia the official law of the regions controlled by the Taliban. This emboldened the group even more, which eventually resulted in a military offensive.

Last week, Pakistan finally felt forced to act and push the Taliban back into the Swat Valley. That is nice, but not even remotely enough. Islamabad says it still supports its Sharia-agreement with the group. This is highly problematic: in effect, the Taliban have created another safe haven from which they can operate and attack targets in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Obama has to convince Pakistan to declare all out war on the Taliban. If he fails, Afghanistan will remain unstable for years to come.