Flashermac Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 Flasher, you are an educated man - I'm sure you realise that Pakistan and India are *both* a potpourri of tribes/religions, many of whom have no particular interest in living with one another. As an Aussie-Indian guy told me once 'India is about 15 different countries within a single border'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin An educated Indian once remarked to me that he thought India should probably be at least four different countries. The Hindi speaking majority is trying to force everyone to use their language. That doesn't go over too well in the Tamil speaking south and elsewhere. Also, rather ironically India has a almost as many Muslims as Pakistan - 161 million against 174 million. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozpharlap Posted May 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 Khan calls on Pakistan to break its reliance on US aid ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani cricket great turned political firebrand Imran Khan wants Pakistan to distance itself from Washington by rejecting all American aid to the country. Pakistan is now more vulnerable than at any time in its 63 years of existence following the US operation in Abbottabad that killed Osama bin Laden, Mr Khan said in an interview with the Herald in Islamabad. "The biggest lesson to learn [from the operation] is that Pakistan should stand on its own feet, say no to aid and be a sovereign country," he said. "Our government policies have been dictated by aid, they have enslaved us by aid." Advertisement: Story continues below It is estimated Washington has given Islamabad approximately $US20 billion in aid over the past decade. Mr Khan will next week lead supporters of his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice), in a "huge blockade" of NATO's military supply route that goes though Pakistan to Afghanistan in protest at the US drone strikes inside Pakistan. "These drone attacks are not just a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, they are a violation of all humanitarian laws," Mr Khan said. Foreign forces in Afghanistan, including Australian troops, depend on supplies trucked in from the Pakistani port city of Karachi. Anger in Pakistan over America's raid in Abbottabad could help garner public support for Mr Khan's blockade. Since retiring from cricket Mr Khan has been a persistent critic of Pakistan's political establishment. His party was one of several to boycott the national elections in 2008, so it has no seats in parliament. But the 58-year-old former Test captain and star all-rounder remains a high-profile political figure and his attacks on the government since bin Laden was killed on May 2 have gained blanket media coverage in Pakistan. "Imagine the feeling here, that despite all the sacrifices given by the people of this country, we are more vulnerable than ever before and we stand humiliated," he said. "People want answers for this, but unfortunately we have the most corrupt and incompetent government." He has joined politicians from across Pakistan's political spectrum in demanding the resignation of the President, Asif Ali Zardari, and the Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani. "No one believes them in Pakistan, no one believes them abroad,'' he said. ''So what are they doing there? They have failed on all fronts." Mr Khan says the Zardari government's reputation for being an "American puppet" was promoting violent extremism. "If the government had roots in its own people and was not perceived as an American puppet then you could control terrorism in Pakistan," he said. Mr Khan said the discovery of bin Laden in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad had left the country shamed and weakened. "The worst is that we have completely lost our credibility and we are so vulnerable," he said. "As we have been accused of harbouring the world's biggest terrorist that means any act of terrorism that takes place anywhere, all fingers will be pointing at Pakistan … the country stands terribly exposed. We could end up paying an even higher price than we have already paid." Link I don't think Pakistan is going to let the OBL operation to go away quietly. India's silence has been deafening Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 Maybe Pakistan isn't a US territory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 Why not? They speak as much English as people do in Arizona and California. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozpharlap Posted May 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 No ablo English Mu cha cha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I dont know that we can lump all 'Muslims' together, any more than we could lump all Irish 'Christians' together. Al Qaeda and other extremists have shown that they are equally willing to kill fellow Muslims as they are to kill infidels. The justify it with some crap along the lines of 'any Muslim who sides with infidels becomes an infidel' - basically, anyone who doesnt play by their very narrow rule book. This doesnt sound a whole lot different to the IRA's interpretation of what it means to be a Catholic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 The Shiite vs Sunni hatred is amazing. It is maybe even worse than during the Catholic vs Protestant wars in Europe in the 17th century. A Muslim classmate years ago admitted to me that he really hated the Shiites. Each side claims the other aren't really Muslims. If the West would leave the Muslim world alone, they'd probably keep their quarrels between themselves and we wouldn't have many problems with them. But our governments' can't seem to keep their noses out of the Middle East. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 gobble, i tried to explain that to a EDL fanatic i know, didn't want to know. he likes his arab/turkish born patron saint st george lol. muppets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 " by rejecting all American aid to the country." like that'd ever happen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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