Pakistan, May 18 -- In his testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committee this week, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper acknowledged Pakistan as "a reliable partner in counter?terrorism operations" against Islamic State Khorasan, noting that joint operations had yielded tangible outcomes. Of course, for those in Islamabad, this does not read like an exaggerated compliment. Admiral Cooper was simply stating an operational fact that years of selective American debate had often buried under impatience and old talking points.

Pakistan has heard praise from Washington before, typically when American policy required its geostrategic location for access. What is different this time around is the wider setting. The region around Paki...