WASHINGTON-While the US officials, opinion-makers and the media have criticised the Swat peace deal as capitulation to the militants, The Boston Globe, while joining the chorus, has also called for giving the Pak move a chance. 'It makes sense for the Obama admin to give the govt of President Asif Ali Zardari the benefit of the doubt on its Swat strategy', the newspaper said in a editorial. 'If there is one general lesson to be drawn from the manifold blunders committed by the Bush administration in a large arc of lands extending from the Mediterranean to Central Asia, it is that Washington policy makers rarely understand local conditions better than the locals do', it said. 'The Swat pact was made not with outsiders from FATA along the Afghanistan border, but with a local figure, Sufi Muhammad. He is a former insurgent who has pledged to prevail on newer rebel groups to lay down their arms in exchange for the govt's acceding to a demand for Shariah. In principle, there is nothing wrong with seeking to empower less fanatical local forces against Taliban ultras from other regions'. 'Nevertheless, the govt has established an ominous precedent by capitulating to a gang of 3,000 or so armed men who terrorised the civilian population and the local authorities in Swat. The terrorists beheaded police, assassinated politicians, and kidnapped innocent people for ransom', it added. In its editorial, The New York Times said Obama's biggest challenge will be trying to figure out how to persuade Pakistan that the fight against extremism is not a favour to the US and that it is essential to Pakistan's own survival. 'The nuclear-armed country faces terrifying problems: political and economic instability, home-grown extremists who are far too cozy with Pak intelligence services, a lawless border region used by the Taliban to execute bloody attacks on Afghanistan', it said. 'This week the govt effectively ceded the Swat Valley - which is in the border region but just 100 miles from Islamabad - to militants in a misguided bid for a false peace'. 'The White House's decision to bring senior Pakistani and Afghan officials into the policy discussion - they visit Washington next week - is very welcome. Saudi Arabia, Iran and India must also be involved. Obama goes to Europe the first week of April for a NATO summit. He has told aides to come up with a strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan before then. Given how fast things are coming apart in Afghanistan - the Taliban have now moved into peaceful areas near Kabul-they may have to decide even faster.