State Dept. happy that Pakistan is distracting the public
Pakistan, one big freaking mess. Oh yeah, and they’ve got nukes.
Musharraf Consolidates His Control With Arrests
Pakistan PM: No timetable on emergency
CNN Exclusive: Bhutto reacts to martial law
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 4 — The government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, making no concessions a day after seizing emergency powers, rounded up leading opposition figures and said Sunday that parliamentary elections could be delayed for as long as a year. Security forces were reported to have rounded up about 500 opposition party figures, lawyers and human rights advocates Sunday, and about a dozen privately television news stations remained off the air. International broadcasters, including the BBC and CNN, were also cut. The crackdown, announced late Saturday night after General Musharraf suspended the Constitution, was clearly aimed at preventing public demonstrations that political parties and lawyers were organizing for Monday.
The events in Pakistan over the past few days will likely barely register on Americans, most of whom couldn’t find Pakistan even if you dropped them into beautiful downtown Islamabad. While it may be difficult to put events taking place halfway around the world into any sort of perspective (especially when you have no perspective), make no mistake: the country that most seriously threatens American interests isn’t Iraq. Or Afghanistan. Or even Iran. It’s Pakistan- our “ally” in the never-ending Global War on Terror. Hmm…that might explain the Administration’s stunning silence on this crackdown. This is especially ironic in light of their rapid condemnation and sanctioning of Myanmar. ‘Course, Myanmar isn’t a hotbed of anti-American hatred.
Sure, it’s easy to marginalize Pakistan as a backward Muslim Third World country riven by sectarian strife and a particularly violent political culture. All of that may be true to greater or lesser degrees, but try to keep this in mind: Pakistan is a backward Muslim Third World country WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Chew on that one for awhile, and if you’ve got half a brain, that should scare the $#!& out of you. Yep, kinda makes you wonder just how close we are to being confronted by a collection of radical Islamofascists with their itchy fingers on a nuclear trigger, doesn’t it? Perhaps mucher closer than you might have previously thought.
The Bush Administration may be thanking their lucky stars that attention has been diverted from their criminal ineptitude and corruption for the moment, but if Pervez Musharraf loses control of Pakistan, they may have more on their hands than they bargained for. What happens in Pakistan over the next fews days, weeks, and months matters more than most Americans could possibly know. Not only is Pakistan an “ally” in Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader’s never-ending Global War on Terror, but it’s also potentially a hotbed of terrorist activity, much of which could be directed against American interests.
Call it what you wish, but it would appear that the war in Iraq has turned out be the Pandora’s box many thought it might be. Instead of protecting America from terrorism, Iraq may turn out to be the incubator that gives birth to a new, more virulent strain of anti-American terrorism. Nice going, eh?
STILL GLAD YOU VOTED REPUBLICAN?
Dont’ you feel safer? If you do, you’re clearly NOT paying attention. Then again, most Americans aren’t. Most Americans not only couldn’t care less, they think Pakistan is a suburb of Nashville.
