Chaudhry Only One Standing Up in Pakistan

Pakistan's Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, is standing up and asking questions about the Islamic law the Pakistani government agreed to let the Taliban impose in the Swat valley. The impetus for his outrage was the video of a 17-year old woman who was beaten after refusing the advances of a Taliban leader. The Pakistani government has almost completely backed out of the Swat valley, only 100 miles from the capital Islamabad, and the valley has devolved into chaos.

Even at their peak religious parties in Pakistan have never received more than a few percent of the vote. The vast majority of the population doesn't want Islamic law, but the government has retreated in the face of the loud and violent few, to the detriment of the rest.

Chaudhry seems to the be the only civilian standing up for order against the militants and against chaos and corruption in the government, be it Musharraf's or Zardari's. The United States needs to do everything it can to support his efforts.