Poll: Pakistan Turns on Taliban

As the Marines begin a major offensive in Afghanistan, there's some encouraging news on the other side of the Durand Line:

Most Pakistanis now see the Pakistani Taliban as well as al Qaeda as a critical threat to the country--a major shift from 18 months ago--and support the government and army in their fight in the Swat Valley against the Pakistani Taliban. An overwhelming majority think that Taliban groups who seek to overthrow the Afghan government should not be allowed to have bases in Pakistan.

That, via World Public Opinion, is the good news. Now for the bad news:

However, this does not bring with it a shift in attitudes toward the US. A large majority continue to have an unfavorable view of the US government. Almost two-thirds say they do not have confidence in Obama. An overwhelming majority opposes US drone attacks in Pakistan.

I think the Pakistani public's widespread dislike of the Taliban should further dampen the worries we were hearing a month ago when the Taliban were "60 miles" from the Pakistani capital. With just 5 percent of those polled voicing support for the Taliban, it seems hard to imagine them sweeping into the capital and assuming control.

But it should also serve to reaffirm the point below: people don't like other countries dropping bombs on them, no matter who they're dropping them on.