Pity. I really thought that the most recent peace deal - designed as it was with the explicit intention of "placating extremists" - would work out:

Taliban militants in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan say they have pulled out of a peace deal with the government, raising the prospect of wider unrest as the Pakistani army extends its efforts to eliminate insurgents. The militants in North Waziristan blamed continuing U.S. missile strikes and army offensives against the Taliban for their decision, which was announced in the wake of a Taliban ambush that killed 16 soldiers. Separately, a car bombing in Pakistan's southwest killed four people Tuesday, police said -- a reminder of how insecurity in the country stretches far beyond the northwest regions near Afghanistan.

The Taliban ambush that killed 16 Pakistani soldiers - that was still peace. The June attack on a convoy of 350 students - also still peace. But now they're done placidly sitting back and enjoying their sharia mini-state.

I was going to add how the Taliban's regular floggings and murders of "illegitimate" couples also seem to be less than peaceful. But that'd be a little unfair since those kinds of things are well-known to be Jewish plots. The beheading of barbers though - I think that's officially the Taliban again.

In the meantime, by the by, the Taliban have thoroughly infiltrated Pakistan's armed forces. So we've got that going for us.

References and previously after the jump...