When Asif Ali Zardari became president of Pakistan, locals gave him three months. The widower of their slain political heroine, Benazir Bhutto, no one expected much from him. The US was worried about security since he had no military background, and the army had its focus on its traditional enemy, India, and the border they share.

Both the government and the military were viewed as weak. Ceding the Swat region to the Taliban simply encouraged them to reach farther, and the government and military did not appear to be responding to the threat. It appeared as though the Taliban might achieve their goal of overrunning the country and bringing down the government.

A year later things had changed. With an infusion of international aid, President Zardari was credited with bringing political and economic stability to his country. Even more important he has changed the mind set of the military about what is the real threat to Pakistan: Not India but its internal militants, a mix of Taliban, al-Qaeda and tribal malcontents. After repeated attacks in major cities, the military took on the Taliban and in a well-coordinated offensive, drove them out of Swat and back to the mountainous regions on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Civilian administration is being extended into previously Taliban-controlled areas.

The next goal is an offensive against South Waziristan, part of the mountainous border area, where the military had attacked three times and been driven back three times with the battles ending in a truce. There are an estimated 15,000 militants in the area and the Pakistan military has a force of 28,000. One of the major problems is that Taliban who are often related to local families blend into populations, and are also much more familiar with the rugged terrain then the soldiers.

As the military made plans for an offensive, Taliban attacks across the country spiraled. Using suicide bombers and explosives, they have boldly attacked law enforcement agencies and the army headquarters in coordinated assaults.

In South Waziristan, many local residents fled ahead of the offensive. Over 90,000 have already registered for relief aid.

Part of the militants ferocious assault on police and military and civilians is attributed to the fact that a US drone killed Taliban leader Baitullah Meshud, who was considered the mastermind of the terrorist attacks, and was said to have planned Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.

As warmup for a ground invasion, the Pakistan military used jet fighter planes and artillery fire to attack ammunition depots and bunkers.

Now the ground forces have moved in and the battle is expected to go on for two months.

But the attitude toward the Zardiri government has changed. Richard Holbrooke, the special envoy of the Obama administration to the Af-Pak region, said “Pakistan has made great strides in fighting terrorism.”

Since Meshud’s death, there is thought to be a struggle for power among the Taliban. The Pakistan military is taking advantage of the disarray by talking some of the Taliban into surrendering. Not all Taliban recruits are ideological converts.

After government forces took Swat, 41 militants from a district near Swat surrendered to the government.

Government officials are spreading the word for followers of the Taliban to defect, “say goodbye to terrorism and start a new life.”