Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for your excellent documentary about Taliban and their growing menace. Unfortunately, you (and a lot of other media organization), failed to highlight the reason why Pakistan army is still backing the Taliban's. First of all there is a big difference between Tailiban's and Al Qaeda. Taleban's are the local pashtun's whereas Al Qaeda are the Arab outsiders who came to the area during the Soviet Invasion.

There is a big reason why the Pakistan army is so reluctant in moving against the Taleban's. The first and foremost is due to Pakistan's strategic depth policy. After Karzai came into power, India's influence have grown leaps and bounds in Afghanistan, to the dislike of Pakistan. Pakistan wants a stable and friendly government on its western borders, because of a war with India, they can shift their military assets there. India doesnt want that to happen, thus they are giving money, military aid etc. to Karzai's government. Pakistan army is well too aware that the US will not be in Afghanistan forever. Once they leave, they will have to counter Karzai's government and India's influence, and the only way they can do it is via the Taliban's.

The only way to solve this problem is to have India and Pakistan resolve all their disputes (especially Kashmir). All of Pakistan's military policy are due to India (the nuclear weapons program, Taliban's, Kashmir etc). There is no military solution to this, as you have highlited that even after deploying more then 50 thousand British troops, they were not able to conquer/capture this area. Even if US invades the tribal areas, they wont be able to achieve their objectives, becuase of the terrain.

The only solution is political, and the sooner US realizes this the better. One last thing I would like to add is that Pakistan military has a history of tying knots with the Islamic Parties. The sooner they get rid of this policy, the better it will be for Pakistan.

Thank You

Atif Wasi
South Riding, VA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I would like to say that the whole mess was started when western governments start supporting them because they was feared about Russians (everyone knows that). ...

Now after observing all the news and media I realize that media don't have any thing in control. Before they bluff over Pakistan they need to tell the real facts about it, unfortunately they just show the question that makes their TV rating high. I would like to write few facts, the first thing is I saw that every Journalist was asking question that why Pakistan won't allow US forces to conduct operation into Pakistan. The fact for this question in my opinion is that, let say if forces will go into Pakistan does any body ever think about that they will run away from those parts and when they run away form border towns what is gona happen, it will turn the whole Pakistan into war zone. The people who are worried about NATO troops they need to think first that their are more towns and cities in Pakistan and people live their in peaceful life, I think the people who ask those questions don't like the fact that Pakistan is in stable situation right now and they want to see destruction of Pakistan.

The second thing that media try to do now is to embarrass Pakistani President and forces in front of the people and the whole world. Also World need to realize that it's only Pakistan has intelligence who capturing them and handing over them to US, I challenge in front of whole world that if they can catch that many suspects and hand over them to US. I would like to see Mr. Karzai to capture any big figure and hand over him to US, he always accuses Pakistan but he can't do enough to capture them.

I am proud of Pakistan and I think we are making right decisions, the bottom line fact is most western's don't like the fact that Pakistan as a Muslim nation has their name in world's nukes powers, they like to see this as end and they try to use all assists and aspects to put Pakistan. But People of Pakistan has their faith on God and Pakistan will survive.

Amir A
Houston, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE,

I think President Musharraf is corrupt and obviously sympathizes with the terrorist groups. the video showed just how bad the corruption was. Even one of his military leaders boldly told the taliban that the Pakistani military was here to protect the taliban from military attacks from america.

The US needs to dangle a bigger carrot not a Karrot. I mean the US needs leverage against Musharraf. First off by not paying him millions of dollars. We know where the money is going. Maybe giving those f-16 fighters to India. Or how about threating to give military support to India for claiming Kashmir if he does not comply?

yorkshire, ohio

Dear FRONTLINE,

My own "Arm-chair Generaling" has always had me of the mind that Iraq was never part of this 'War on Terror' in the first place. (Different subject) I believe that just by our presence there we have brought the 'War on Terror' to it - and negligently under our mis-leading single party government. And likewise, if we left and went back to Afganistan in full force the Iraq portion of this war would follow us back as well. And that said I feel we should not try to prop up thier leaders as some sort of quasi colonialism but fight the Taliban openly and in full force reguardless of the reputation of the area. As it stands now our military is under-manned there and the situation can not last forever. If we make a proper battlefield out of the area we stand a much better chance than to allow them to constinatly gain ground and fuel for propaganda. The big question is, who gets to baby-sit Iraq in the mean time? "We broke it, we own it."

Mark Heller
San Francisco, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Excellent program!

CNN needs to learn something from you guys about how to make good documentary/ journalism programs.

My favorite part was the one about how US is paying Pakistan who is paying Taliban who is paying the Al Qaeda. Great! So, we are still funding the al-qaeda indirectly. That's front page news!!

Keep up the good reporting!

Zak Don
Austin, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE,

I find myself presently occupying a space between my government who intentionally hides the truth from me and Frontline who gives me more truth than I am able to handle without feelings of hopelessness. Even my step-father said to me tonight, "I'm glad I am 88 years old..."

All I could say was touche.

Medford, Oregon

Dear FRONTLINE,

America govt should first and foremost make sure that the nuclear assets are safe by having a deal with Pakistan which will allow American Govt power to control nuclear assets till all Taliban Mindset is gone , may be 10 years from now.

The Madrass should be funded to have American Views and thinking , not radical Arabic thinking.Million of dollars of missile money should be channeled to educate these people and give them alternate means of livelyhood.Education and changing mindset will be the key in the longer run.Taliban doesnt hate American people ,it hate its religion and support to Israel.America is fighting a unknown , illiterate, poor,fundamentalist enemy with the high tech gadgets.Why should America waste it tax payers money to fight for other people .Need of the hour would be too work from now on to change mindset of Taliban and eventually win this foolish War.

anil john
jamaica, ny

Dear FRONTLINE,

Though not a lot of attention was focused on what American foreign policy should be in regards to Pakistan, it is certain that we should continue our support of Musharaf. He is a military dictator, but his persona and policies pale in comparison to the malevolence of Zia ul-Haq, the dictator of Pakistan during the 80's, who received much more U.S. Aid and support than Musharaff has. It would be short-sighted to believe that democracy is the key to solving the region's problems, because the Taliban flourished as a proxy army of Pakistan udner the democratic rule of Presidents' Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto.

Alec Haskard
Portland, OR

Dear FRONTLINE,

President Musharraf is playing a very calculated double game in many repsects. For the United States, the region of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan is of greatest concern seeing as they have 1000's of soldiers in harm's way on the Afghan side of the border. But Musharraf is a highly intelligent man with concerns of varying degrees of importance situated on multiple fronts both geographical and political. His assasination of 79 year old Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti earlier this year and his recent remarks on the levels of the Indian troop presence in Kashmir demonstrate the nature of where some of his priorities lay. In regard to Afghanistan, Musharraf may, somewhat maliciously, be content to let the war there fester for the meantime particularly if he sees Indian influence growing too strong for his liking (which he recently indicated) or he is unhappy with the Americans gruff and condescending attitude toward Pakistan and the Pavlovian nature of their arms dealings.

Derek Flood
New York, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

Watched the Taliban show - What a mess. The whole situation appears more hopeless than I ever thought. There is no "win" to be had here. And each Taliban fighter we kill creates a martyr's death for his heirs to seek revenge for down the road. Terrific.

calgary, alberta

Dear FRONTLINE,

War is never a black and white affair. It has its canonical under the table deals and intrigue. We have however a president in our country who is not very savvy. To defer this opinion would be to ignore all the misadventures we have gone into for the sake of Bush's ego. What upsets me is that my kids will end up paying for the bill, when they have not even voting rights. As parents, we will be looked down by our next generation for being lapse on our government's swash buckling antics.

Fullerton, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Return of the Taliban confirms public concern about Pakistan's covert role in the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. It timely reminds Washington policymakers of the need to go after the Taliban leadership in Pakistan's major tribal districts and cities including Quetta. How would the war on terror or the insurgency in Afghanistan end as long as terrorists found supportive sanctuaries in Pakistan? Tribal leadership should be strengthened on both sides of the border, while extremism should no longer be used as a tool of foreign policy.

Ashraf Haidari
Washington, DC

Dear FRONTLINE,

Your program was both interesting and disturbing. This new "deal" between the Pakistani government and the Taliban terrorists in the tribal areas frees these killers to go to Afghanistan to kill NATO troops. We must do what we can to send special forces into Pakistan and commit assassinations of leadingTaliban forces. The more we knock out, the less they will fight in Afghanistan. And if Pakistan does not like this situation, they can find out what doing without our aid and support does for them.

Ronald Emmis
Miami, Florida

Dear FRONTLINE,

Your excerpt from young Winston Chrchill's brilliant observations in 1898 about the border tribals whose "system of ethics which regards treachery and violence as virtues rather than vices" etc. applies no less today. The US political machine never studied the French experience in Vietnam, nor the British experience in the Northwest Frontier. Pres. Bush obviously never read Kipling at Andover or he would know that Christianity is not welcome on the border. The best solution as usual would be for the US to pack up and go home to Fortress America. The tribals, the Paks, the Taliban and Al Quaeda will come to their own modus operandi, Allah will be joyous whatever way it turns out, and the Crusaders will be home safe drinking beer in the PX. All's right with the world!

Keith Lorenz
Morrill, Maine

Dear FRONTLINE,

It is clear that the tribal areas are the main source of Taliban and Al Qaeda operations. The guaranteed quagmire of attacking them is too much to even consider. So we must allow Pakistan to work on these areas. We cannot appreciate the tribal connections especially the links to the ISI and the Pakistani army. President Bush blundered at the press conference with Musharaf by putting him on the spot. We are only creating more terrorists.

craig charvat
blue point , NY