MUSHARRAF'S FALL FREES PETRAEUS TO ACT

The ironies abound. Although the fall of the Musharraf government has destabilized Pakistan and allowed greater freedom to the Taliban dead-enders and their ISI enablers, it has also removed some of the inhibitions from more forceful military action against the tribal strongholds where Ayman Zawahiri is probably hiding. The New York Sun reports:

"With Musharraf gone, the policy of self-deterrence is now gone," a former senior counterterrorism official for both the Clinton and Bush national security councils, Roger Cressey, said. "We would deter ourselves from doing anything for fear that any action would destabilize Musharraf."

David Petraeus is a man who knows more than one game-plan. Watch for creative and effective measures along the Afghan-Pakistani border over the coming months. Maybe sooner.

October surprise, anyone?