White House Plays Counterproductive Double-Game In Dealings With Musharraf
White House Plays Counterproductive Double-Game In Dealings With Musharraf
On November 3, 2007, Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule in Pakistan, citing a need to curb terrorism and restrict activist judges. His decision came a few days before Pakistan’s Supreme Court was set to rule on a series of cases that would have challenged his legitimacy to hold the post of president and chief of military simultaneously.
The Provisional Constitutional Order that followed the emergency declaration put Pakistan’s 1973 constitution into abeyance and suspended all fundamental rights, including: Article 9 (security of person), 10 (safeguard as to arrest and detention), 15 (freedom of movement, etc.), 16 (freedom of assembly), 17 (freedom of association), 19 (freedom of speech, etc.) and 25 (equality of citizens) shall remain suspended.
The suspension of fundamental rights is already producing convictions, as four men accused of treason have been jailed for making anti-government speeches. Pakistan’s private TV stations were all blacked-out and sale of satellite dishes was halted. Hundreds of lawyers and activists around the country were detained or put under house arrest, and the most recent estimate is that around 2,500 people are in jail.
The White House has been playing a quiet double game in its dealings with Musharraf — publicly appearing critical of him while privately lending him support.
On Wednesday, President Bush announced that he finally made a telephone call to Musharraf, reportedly urging him to “return Pakistan to civilian rule“:
President Bush telephoned General Musharraf for the first time since the crisis began and bluntly told him that he had to return Pakistan to civilian rule, hold elections and step down as chief of the military, as he had promised. Mr. Bush called him from the Oval Office at 11:30 a.m. Washington time, and spoke for about 20 minutes, according to the White House.
But reputable Pakistani journalist, Hamid Mir reported on Geo TV — Pakistan’s largest private cable news station — that the U.S. gave the green-light for Musharraf to go ahead and call the emergency. According to Mir, the U.S. supported Musharraf because it regarded the ousted “Chief Justice as a nuisance and ‘a Taliban sympathizer.’” That may explain why President Bush’s demands are so light:
Bush administration officials are unanimous in saying that American financial support for Pakistan will continue regardless of whether General Musharraf reverses course.
Moreover, military expert Aysha Siddiqa reports that American diplomats in Pakistan have information suggesting the upcoming elections may be rigged.
The Bush administration has to take a more direct line with Musharraf, ensure honesty and fairness in the elections for all parties, and not merely engage in window dressing.
– Ali Eteraz is editor of Pakistanpolitics.net and he blogs at Eteraz.
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Our diplomacy is in shambles. Where is Dr. Rice? Out buying shoes I suspect.
November 8th, 2007 at 7:06 pmDoes anyone else get the feeling Bush is watching the reactions of Americans to whats going on in Pakistan in order to determine how we will react when he pulls the same move on us, as Musharraf has pulled on his people? With all the crimes Bush, and his crew have committed, if he just leaves, as he is suppose to, how will he protect himself, and his cronies from prosecution? So what does he do? Does he declare martial law in the name of protecting America from terrorists, when he is only trying to protect his own ass by retaining power?
November 8th, 2007 at 7:10 pmBush, and Cheney are just to power hungry to just leave, if you ask me!
November 8th, 2007 at 7:11 pmDoes anyone else get the feeling Bush is watching the reactions of Americans to whats going on in Pakistan in order to determine how we will react when he pulls the same move on us, as Musharraf has pulled on his people?
Comment by dr7854
I am certain this is being discussed in the deep bowels of the WH. Both Bush and Cheney are corrupt and criminal. Actually though, the country would erupt into chaos. More and more people are watching Olbermann. They are beginning to understand how they have been duped for the last 6+ years. Nobody wants to be made a fool of. Nobody wants to be lied to over and over again. Even if Bush pulled a stunt, he would go down in flames. The citizenry would not allow this abuse of power.
November 8th, 2007 at 7:16 pmWhite House Plays Counterproductive Double-Game In Dealings With Musharraf
Change Musharraf for your favorite dictator and you have the summary of American foreign policy.
November 8th, 2007 at 7:20 pmFacist of a feather flock together!!!!
And deeply rooted world corruption helps too!!!!
November 8th, 2007 at 7:26 pmMusharraf had better watch his back. The list of dictators being overthrown by US conservatives that once backed them is a long one.
November 8th, 2007 at 7:26 pmMusharraf is looking to keep his regime and simply to survive by all means and measures.
When Musharraf saw that the Pakistani Supreme Court was going to call his re election attempt null and void..he took action,arrested members and closed television stations,arrested lawyers, his army took over all news and media outlets and arrested opposing lawmakers in the Pakistani Parliament.
Musharraf now is trying to assemble a court that will go with his plans.
While he calims it is against terrorists..he is actually not arresting religious leaders, but the most secular in the country,instead…lawyers and judges.
He is just another dictator whose methods has been used before,but at the end all dictators will have to face their oppressed people.
November 8th, 2007 at 7:31 pmMusharraf had better watch his back. The list of dictators being overthrown by US conservatives that once backed them is a long one.
Comment by dlet
I just remembered a nice party where a bearded man was crowned with a noose around the neck and his fellas were all around him singing Muqtada! Muqtada! Muqtada!.
Oh, lawlessness…
November 8th, 2007 at 7:31 pmCaption-
“Now you did skim off one of that ten Billion we sent you to my offshore account like we talked about, Pervie?”
Pervie better watch his back when dealing with a known liar.
Buck Fush
November 8th, 2007 at 7:33 pmRice has already distinguished herself as the most incompetent National Security Advisor in memory. Now, she’s two for two.
November 8th, 2007 at 7:38 pm#4-Don’t be so sure. Check the White House’s official site, and read the National Security Presidential Directive, and Homeland Security Presidential Directive that Bush signed together a couple months back. They are the ones speaking to continuance of power in a national emergency. DON’T PUT ANYTHING PAST THESE CRIMINALS! AMERICAN’S DO SO AT OUR OWN PERIL!
November 8th, 2007 at 7:40 pmAli Eteraz, I read somewhere that when the former leader of Pakistan agreed to turn Osama bin Laden over to the U.S. during the Clinton administration, Mushariff, took power by military coup and scuttled the deal. Can you verify that story?
November 8th, 2007 at 7:46 pmPresident Bush telephoned General Musharraf for the first time since the crisis began and bluntly told him that he had to return Pakistan to civilian rule …
who the hell does this guy think he is?
November 8th, 2007 at 7:55 pmhow does dubby get off telling other dictators how to dictate?
i don’t get it…
I know its too easy to entertain the idea of Bush never leaving office and declaring marshal law, but the whole thing would gring to a halt if people stopped shopping, watching TV, and buying gas. This cycle is not to be interrupted.
November 8th, 2007 at 7:55 pmtwo tin-horns lookin at one another with their fingers ……. up their asses. And Ya’all payin for the rest of ya lives.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:02 pmI think what you are remember is the failed 1999 Joint US-Pak raid on Bin laden in which Musharraf was involved.
Link
November 8th, 2007 at 8:05 pmBingo, Truth.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:05 pmJust another Republican thing that’s bad for America.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:36 pmOk Congress. It’s time to get involved. Pass a law stating that no more money can go to Pakistan until they hold a fair and open election. If they don’t intervene, they will be complicit in what Bush and Musharraf are doing.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:54 pmMusharraf had better watch his back. The list of dictators being overthrown by US conservatives that once backed them is a long one.
Comment by dlet — November 8, 2007 @ 7:26 pm
Yeah but none of them had nuclear weapons… as we have learned from North Korea, once a dictator gets his hands on some nukes, the USA is reduced to half-hearted sanctions and diplomacy.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:56 pm#20- Don’t get me wrong, there’s nobody more anti-Bush than I, but that’s just a partial brain fart on his part. What he means is you can’t be President, and the military leader of the military at the same time, where Bush is only the civilian leader of the military. What I will give you is the idiot calling for Musharraf to take off his military uniform, where I’ve never known a chance to wear a uniform, or at least a bomber jacket, or something military like it, that Bush hasn’t taken. Think “Mission Accomplished.”
November 8th, 2007 at 9:00 pmMusharraf is going to get deposed by the Pakistani people very soon. US must NOT offer him asylum. Let him wander the world as a unwanted refugee.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:15 pmBut reputable Pakistani journalist, Hamid Mir reported on Geo TV — Pakistan’s largest private cable news station — that the U.S. gave the green-light for Musharraf to go ahead and call the emergency.
**********************************
Regardless of whether this is actually true or not, anyone who doesn’t consider this deeply disturbing even if only in the hypothetical sense needs serious psychiatric help. Granted, as I’ve said before, the US has to all appearances managed to get itself hopelessly jammed between a rock and a hard place with regard to Pakistan — and it’s all our own fault. Turning our backs on Musharraf completely for having declared martial law is quite simply not a viable option at present because it is by no means a secret that Pakistan is a nuclear power and that Wahhabism is alive and well there. If Musharraf were to fall from power, it is by no means impossible that our relationship with Pakistan could take on a very different tone from what it is now — and not for the better. On the other hand, however, being too closely associated with Musharraf only serves to damage our reputation and our credibility around the world that much more. We cannot truly claim to be a country which is a proponent of freedom and democracy while allying ourselves with a dictator who has robbed his people of those very same things, no matter how temporary Musharraf might claim this move to be — nor are we justified in pointing the finger of accusation and condemnation at one world leader who deprives his people of freedom and democracy while shaking hands with another who has done the same or even worse. All that serves to do is make us appear to be completely self-serving, two-faced, hypocritical bullies who are just looking for an excuse to throw their weight around…
…but then again, unfortunately, whether we want to admit it or not, perhaps that’s really what we have become — or at least, are rapidly in the process of becoming. Just because we don’t want to admit it doesn’t mean that it isn’t true…the biggest obstacle to solving a problem is refusing to admit that there is one.
November 8th, 2007 at 10:10 pmGreat post Bluestocking. You completely hit the nail on the head. We’re kind of stuck on this one.
On one hand we want to promote democracy(I don’t think Bush does–but we do!). We want to go in after OBL.
On the other hand we don’t want to push too hard and topple Musharraf and put a nuclear armed nation in the hands of Wahhabism. One that is already harboring OBL.
The worst thing of all though is that we partially (if not entirely) created this problem ourselves.
NPR has a good article right now that talks about how we continued to send millions in aid to both India and Pakistan as they both raced to get nukes. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16082997
Again, and again, and again America’s horrible policy of arming bad guys in order to keep other bad guys in check has come back to haunt us. Just like with OBL(CIA trained), Saddam(sold him WMDs), Iran(gave them their reactor), and many, many others.
If america really wanted peace in the world they would stop their policy of arming everyone in the world. THIS COUNTRY, the USA has done so much to make the world less safe!! Possibly more than any other country.
November 9th, 2007 at 12:33 am.
This Administration may be the biggest blight this America has EVER had. No other Administration has started a global nuclear war, which is the path they set out on back in 2000. Hitler’s legacy of death and destruction will pale in comparison if Bush is not stopped. The world has never faced such a chain of cataclysmic events before. All on the decision made by the President of the U.S.A. with the tacit consent of the Congress of the U.S.A.
All be damned if left in place.
IMPEACH THE CHEERLEADER – SAVE AMERICA!
.
November 9th, 2007 at 2:44 amoops…
IMPEACH THE CHEERLEADER ~ SAVE THE WORLD!
November 9th, 2007 at 2:46 amRice has already distinguished herself as the most incompetent National Security Advisor in memory. Now, she’s two for two.
Comment by Ret. Col. Jack Ripper — November 8, 2007 @ 7:38 pm
Spot on!
Now, I suppose with the impending impeachment of Richard B. Cheney and the possible impeachment of George W. Bush, Condi can get promoted to V.P. and then assume her crown of achieving the impossible; America’s first African American Female President of the U.S.A.
The tri-fecta!
.
November 9th, 2007 at 2:57 amPredictions of the next 911 by a Professional Geologist.
http://www.H2onE2.com Glacial Respiration, Conceptual Ring of Ice, The End of Linear Western Religion
A Geological Exploration of an E2 Earthen Planet And the H2 Human Species
Author: B Billy Marse, Professional Geologist
Brief Description:
http://www.H2onE2.com is an exploration of the universe, geology, climate, biology, humans, psychology, folklore and ancient structures to uncover the beginning and disclose the end of linear western religion. The true DaVinci Code behind the bible is not a supreme spiritual power but a scientific record of climate change described as Glacial Respiration. The Greek philosophers originated the practice of communicating a hidden idea or message in the short story format, as a metaphor. In the bible, metaphors conceal historic climate change within the fanciful stories. The theory of Glacial Respiration explains the myth behind the Holy Grail, structures such as the Great Pyramids, Stonehenge, Easter Island and is the knowledge that was collected in the Jewish Ark of the Covenant.
The environmental changes of Glacial Respiration determine all biological evolution and can explain why higher forms of intelligent humans developed. Further, Glacial Respiration releases the secret hidden by the Knights Templars, Masonic Order and all religions. Uncovers an advanced Blue-Blooded semi-industrial Atlantian Civilization that was built and destroyed many times over for the last million years. The book ends with an explanation of how linear western religion will be physically ended and describes the construction of the doomsday device capable of fulfilling its own self defining prophesy, “Revelationsâ€. H2onE2 is a mind-expanding experience that stimulates the soul, instinct, intellect and is an almanac to the past, present and future of humanity. Rise, awaken and evolve into H3 human consciousness.
The discovery:
November 9th, 2007 at 4:53 pmAs a Professional Geologist, I attempted to link the Dust Bowl/Great Depression to a pre-glacial condition or mechanism and ended up writing the book H2onE2. I felt that there was a strong connection between the Dust Bowl and transition back into Glacial Winter. I did notice that my professors scientifically crumbled every time I mentioned the relationship. I could not go back in time or locate indisputable proof. The proof came from understanding all educational disciplines including history and theology. I soon discovered that all religious text both eastern and western continually described significant climate change conditions relating to Glacial Respiration. For years I fought off mixing science and religion until I discovered that the origins of all religions were founded or created to help humans psychologically survive the harsh earthen environment. Without reason I soon accepted that the world’s complicated religions were the same. This came true and I continued to write and discover. Everything came into place as though I was unlocking a 10,000-year-old puzzle. I also realized this puzzle was opened before I discovered it, by someone else, some other group. If so, further understanding of this knowledge might be extracted from significant historical events. Lastly, this is the vital information needed to make future predictions.
u6uk6u7k
.
A nasty and flammable situation indeed…
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
let extremists rule
they will drag your country
back to seventh century
absurd thought -
God of the Universe wants
all citizens beheaded
for most petty offenses
let society collapse
absurd thought -
God of the Universe thinks
take all girls out of school
they can not be allowed
to achieve more than a man
http://citizenwarrior2.blogspot.com
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
:)
November 10th, 2007 at 2:07 am.
…I’m overwhelmed by SO MUCH DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM!!!!
November 11th, 2007 at 1:48 pm