[...] if an effort isn't being made to achieve the main objective, or if progress isn't being made toward that objective, compromising on the particulars can compromise the overall mission. And five years after 9/11, there is every indication that Musharraf is doing just that. For example:

* U.S. forces are not free to move in or above Pakistan in pursuit of the enemy. In fact, after Bush told CNN he would send US forces into Pakistan if intelligence indicated bin Laden's presence, Musharraf rebuffed him and said he would not permit foreign troops on Pakistani soil.

* Yet he is allowing al-Qaeda and Taliban remnants on Pakistani soil. In fact, Musharraf's troops are steering clear of certain semi-autonomous tribal areas, or at best remaining in their barracks, thereby ceding territory to the enemy and creating a safe haven for terrorists.

* This very month, Musharraf's government inexplicably released more than a thousand suspected terrorists and their accomplices, including al-Qaeda operatives.

In short, Pakistan is flouting Washington's post-9/11 doctrine. And the time is long-overdue to call Musharraf to task.

Our take home message here is that so far, Musharraf's war on Islamic extremism, understanding that he is indeed having to play a balancing act to stay in power, is basically a farce.

Related: Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflicts Continue