CNN: PRO-TALIBAN CLERIC PULLS OUT OF PEACE DEAL

Pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Mohammad has announced he has pulled out of a peace deal in the violence-plagued Swat Valley in Pakistan, saying the government is not serious about implementing sharia law in the region.  His son-in-law commands the Taliban in the Swat Valley and he blamed the Pakistani government for any bloodshed that might follow his withdrawal from negotiations. Mohammad’s pullout does not automatically mean the deal is over. The Taliban has not announced whether or not it too is pulling out. 

Critics of the cease-fire have called it a major concession by the Pakistani government in an attempt to hold off Taliban attacks. 

Question to the Blogosphere:  Should the Pakistani government make concessions to a cleric with known close ties to a terrorist organization?  What is the tradeoff between security in Pakistan (and the world) and increasing the power of the Taliban through negotiations?  Do you think the Pakistani government is serious about combating the Taliban in its own country?  Why has the Pakistani government not signed off on the deal allowing sharia law in the Swat Valley?  Is the cleric too radical to negotiate with?  Does imposing sharia law in the Swat Valley pose a threat to Pakistani sovereignty over its own lands?  Is there a form of sharia law that would be acceptable to implement in the area for the international community?