Taliban continues to hold positions in Buner....

They have pulled back some troops, but are still in command...

Some Taliban pulled back from a key district not far from the capital on Friday, but remained in control of the area, as the military defended its response, saying it was “determined to root out the menace of terrorism.”

The statement issued by the Pakistani military also condemned the criticism of the army by “outside powers” and called its decision not to intervene as Taliban insurgents advanced from the Swat Valley to Buner, just 70 miles from the capital, an “operational pause” intended to give reconciliation a chance.

American officials have been expressing serious concern about the widening areas of Pakistan coming under Taliban control this week, as hundreds of armed Taliban militants consolidated control of yet another Pakistani region. Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Friday that he was “extremely concerned” about the deteriorating situation, which he said was in “constant, steady decline.”

“I am extremely concerned,” Admiral Mullen told reporters in southern Afghanistan, which he was touring following a visit to Pakistan Wednesday and Thursday. “The situation there is definitely worse than it was two weeks ago. It just continues to spin off.”