Elise Labott of CNN “quotes the Secretary of State”:http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/22/clinton.pakistan/:

“I think that we cannot underscore the seriousness of the existential threat posed to the state of Pakistan by continuing advances, now within hours of Islamabad, that are being made by a loosely confederated group of terrorists and others who are seeking the overthrow of the Pakistani state, a nuclear-armed state,” Clinton said in an appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday.

“I don’t hear that kind of outrage and concern coming from enough people that would reverberate back within the highest echelons of the civilian and military leadership of Pakistan,” she added.

Welcome to the club, Madame Secretary.

CNN goes on to quote “Ambassador Husain Haqqani”:http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/22/clinton.pakistan/, who rather articulately says what’s ~not~ wrong with the current policy of dithering and appeasement.

Elaine Grossman of Global Security Newswire “also quotes Clinton”:http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090422_1960.php as saying that the Pakistan situation “poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of our country and the world.”

These are pretty remarkable remarks about a Major Non-NATO Ally.

Still. I promise that I’m not going to try to turn this into a “what’s-the-matter-with-Pakistan”:http://www.totalwonkerr.net/2006/putting-things-in-perspective blog. So, enough for now.

Update: Get your fix from “Bill Roggio”:http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/04/taliban_flex_muscles.php.

Update 2: And from “Jane Perlez and colleagues”:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/world/asia/23buner.html. And “Glenn Kessler”:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042203913.html.