Benazir Bhutto killed!

[..]

"Pakistan for Dummies" -- Since not all of us can be Fidel, I found this nice concise primer from Juan Cole to bring you up to speed. Here's an excerpt:

 

[color:blue]Pakistan is important to US security. It is a nuclear power. Its military fostered, then partially turned on the Taliban and al-Qaeda, which have bases in the lawless tribal areas of the northern part of the country. And Pakistan is key to the future of its neighbor, Afghanistan. Pakistan is also a key transit route for any energy pipelines built between Iran or Central Asia and India, and so central to the energy security of the United States.

 

The military government of Pervez Musharraf was shaken by two big crises in 2007, one urban and one rural. The urban crisis was his interference in the rule of law and his dismissal of the supreme court chief justice. The Pakistani middle class has greatly expanded in the last seven years, as others have noted, and educated white collar people need a rule of law to conduct their business. Last June 50,000 protesters came out to defend the supreme court, even thought the military had banned rallies. The rural crisis was the attempt of a Neo-Deobandi cult made up of Pushtuns and Baluch from the north to establish themselves in the heart of the capital, Islamabad, at the Red Mosque seminary. They then attempted to impose rural, puritan values on the cosmopolitan city dwellers. When they kidnapped Chinese acupuncturists, accusing them of prostitution, they went too far. Pakistan depends deeply on its alliance with China, and the Islamabad middle classes despise Talibanism. Musharraf ham-fistedly had the military mount a frontal assault on the Red Mosque and its seminary, leaving many dead and his legitimacy in shreds. Most Pakistanis did not rally in favor of the Neo-Deobandi cultists, but to see a military invasion of a mosque was not pleasant (the militants inside turned out to be heavily armed and quite sinister).

 

The NYT reported that US Secretary of State Condi Rice tried to fix Musharraf's subsequent dwindling legitimacy by arranging for Benazir to return to Pakistan to run for prime minister, with Musharraf agreeing to resign from the military and become a civilian president. When the supreme court seemed likely to interfere with his remaining president, he arrested the justices, dismissed them, and replaced them with more pliant jurists. This move threatened to scuttle the Rice Plan, since Benazir now faced the prospect of serving a dictator as his grand vizier, rather than being a proper prime minister.

 

With Benazir's assassination, the Rice Plan is in tatters and Bush administration policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan is tottering.[/color]

 

I like reading Juan Cole. Based upon my limited experiences, he nails the situation in the Mid East about 90% of the time. But I'd be interested in Fidel's take on this.

 

Cheers,

SD

[Old Hippie]

Whatever one may think of her politics or motives it was brave to come back knowing you would have threats against your life.

 

Its a black eye for democracy when a candidate is killed instead of the people having a chance to make a choice.

 

 

 

Yeah, I will add here that it is clear someone did have something to fear from her and her return. What I don't like is how GWB etc are exploiting all this...100% sure Al-Queda did it...yet didn't she tell David Frost that OBL had been killed? The whole thing sickens me.

 

[Hugh_Hoy]

 

SD said, "But I'd be interested in Fidel's take on this."

 

[bust]

[color:blue]Pakistan is important to [color:red]US security.[/color] It is a nuclear power. Its military fostered, then partially turned on the Taliban and al-Qaeda, which have bases in the lawless tribal areas of the northern part of the country. And Pakistan is key to the future of its neighbor, Afghanistan. Pakistan is also a key transit route for any energy pipelines built between Iran or Central Asia and India, and so central to the [color:red]energy security of the United States.[/color]

 

The military government of Pervez Musharraf was shaken by two big crises in 2007, one urban and one rural. The urban crisis was his interference in the rule of law and his dismissal of the supreme court chief justice. The Pakistani middle class has greatly expanded in the last seven years, as others have noted, and educated white collar people need a rule of law to conduct their business. Last June 50,000 protesters came out to defend the supreme court, even thought the military had banned rallies. The rural crisis was the attempt of a Neo-Deobandi cult made up of Pushtuns and Baluch from the north to establish themselves in the heart of the capital, Islamabad, at the Red Mosque seminary. They then attempted to impose rural, puritan values on the cosmopolitan city dwellers. When they kidnapped Chinese acupuncturists, accusing them of prostitution, they went too far. Pakistan depends deeply on its alliance with China, and the Islamabad middle classes despise Talibanism. Musharraf ham-fistedly had the military mount a frontal assault on the Red Mosque and its seminary, leaving many dead and his legitimacy in shreds. Most Pakistanis did not rally in favor of the Neo-Deobandi cultists, but to see a military invasion of a mosque was not pleasant (the militants inside turned out to be heavily armed and quite sinister).

 

[color:red]The NYT reported that US Secretary of State Condi Rice tried to fix Musharraf's subsequent dwindling legitimacy by arranging for Benazir to return to Pakistan to run for prime minister,[/color] with Musharraf agreeing to resign from the military and become a civilian president. When the supreme court seemed likely to interfere with his remaining president, he arrested the justices, dismissed them, and replaced them with more pliant jurists. This move threatened to scuttle the Rice Plan, since Benazir now faced the prospect of serving a dictator as his grand vizier, rather than being a proper prime minister.

 

[color:red]With Benazir's assassination, the Rice Plan is in tatters and Bush administration policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan is tottering[/color].[/color]

 

 

 

Cheers,

SD

 

This is what disturbs me about the US foreign policy.

 

[Old Hippie]

"...Ah, Hugh Hoy. Once again your superior intellect, bestowed upon you by the enviable US education system ..."

 

NOT true! Had HH learned this from the American educational system, he'd have said it in Spanish! actually, that is as sad as it is true.

 

[Guest lazyphil]

hey we've tens of thousands of pakistanis in england to fill any voids left in the the upcoming bloodbath.....someone had to say it

 

as for bhuto, a big big shame this happened she seemed like a beacon of hope for pakistan.

are pakistani nukes intercontinental jobbies? in any event of the loonys get control of them i've got my kitchin table primed for action!!

[The_Munchmaster]

....as for bhuto, a big big shame this happened she seemed like a beacon of hope for pakistan....

A beacon of hope? For the third time?

 

[cavanami]

What grinds my gears is that it may be possible that the USA CIA or other sneaky agencies may have killed Ms. Bhutto to blame it on Al-Quida.

 

With the present USA gov telling soooo many lies, how can I (you?) believe anything they now say?

 

Also, reference the movies/docs; Loose Change, Secong Edition and Zeitgeist. Both are available, just do a google for them or ask me when I am st Gully's sometime and I will give you a copy.

[Flashermac]

Pat Buchanan is Irish-American. Ya know they're all wankers.

 

 

 

[OCgringo]

Our Pakistans are the cult of 7-11,

 

you can find then in any town , they and the co-conspiritors at Circle K

 

WE are supporting terrorists (well some people think) buy getting a sqishey at your local Quicky Mart,

 

OC

 

PS....yes I know that Americans cannot tell , nor really care if they are Pakistanis , Indians , Bangladesh or whatever, we just lump them all together....

 

PSS.....I wonder how many of those 600 "illegal" Pakistanis work at Quicky marts, ohh such a big threat to the USA.....