How Not to Catch a Thief.(International Edition)(Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud)(Brief article)

Byline: Ron Moreau

The element of surprise is a tried-and-true tactic to catch enemies off guard. But that doesn't seem to be Pakistan's strategy in its manhunt against public enemy No. 1: Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, who allegedly masterminded Benazir Bhutto's assassination in 2007, as well as this month's Peshawar hotel bombing. Instead of launching a stealth operation to catch Mehsud unawares, Pakistan has openly telegraphed its aims, giving him ample opportunity to evade capture. In an interview last month, President Asif Ali Zardari announced that the Army was preparing to strike Mehsud's stronghold in South Waziristan. This month the Army blocked the region's main roads in an effort to cut off Mehsud's escape and supply routes, and launched aerial assaults ...