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Gen. David Petraeus, chief of Central Command, has said that Taliban extremists are threatening "the very existence of the Pakistani state." And now that Pakistani, U.S. and coalition forces are fighting the Taliban in Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan, the military dimension of the challenge is front and center. But more than combat is required to prevent Islamist extremists from taking over those countries and acquiring Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

Greater civilian efforts to counter Taliban influence are being urged by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen. They pointedly note that our local partners need help stopping the extremists from winning popular support in the first place. This makes sense.