Omarali50 asked:

David, About the Pakistani army's current offensive, where do you think the taliban have gone? The army has claimed to have killed about 50 of them (the taliban have admitted less, and in this matter, their spokesmen have a history of being more reliable than the army) so where are the other 9950? If they have slipped away to other agencies, then this whack a mole strategy will soon be faced with new problems.
I expect that many of the fighters left before the attack, it was so well advertised and the Pakistani Army's options on the ground were limited. I have seen one report that they are in the area where the Afghan border abuts the two Waziristan and of course there is no "anvil" on the other side of the border. Unless of course there is a "flying anvil" waiting to act.

Do you think the army has decided to dump the good taliban? If not, what great difference will this offensive make to Afghanistan (or even to Pakistan, where the bad taliban frequently find refuge with their good cousins)? And if they have decided to dump the good taliban, what should we expect to see next?
No, the Pakistani Army have not dumped all the Taliban; that has not been their approach before, rather military action: negoitate, local deal, Taliban renege on deal, wait awhile and start again. I am beginning to suspect the Taliban have decided to dump the Army. For a variety of reasons the internal Taliban (a very broad coalition) have made the Pakistani state the main target. Next, well some sheer terror attacks e.g. Peshawar market (used by women), raids on state installations and "spectaculars" by LeT in particular.

I wonder what Stephen Tankel's thoughts are now? (LeT expert).

My answers are from an "armchair" faraway and based on some reading.

davidbfpo