President Bush has been relatively quiet about whether Americans are outraged about the political situation in Pakistan.
General Musharraf suspended the Constitution, fired the judges of the Supreme Court, closed the transmission of privately owned television news channels and curbed the broadcasts of international broadcasters. Parliamentary elections scheduled for next January have been delayed for up to a year.More here.
Despite U.S. expectations it is unlikely that Musharraf will use his new powers to step up a military offensive in the north. His first concern is political survival. More likely are a flurry of truces and shaky peace deals with the Pakistani Taliban that will leave them in place.Unlike your (our) "outrage" over Burma, there doesn't seem to be much "outrage" over Pakistan. Pakistan is our ally in the war on terror, continues to receive military aid from the USA and has about 50 nuclear weapons. Is there any reason for Americans to be outraged over Pakistan? Are you as concerned about democracy in Pakistan as your are about democracy in Burma?
1 comment:
I am far more concerned about Pakistan, not so much for the wellbeing of its battered democracy as for its potential to make an already destabilized Mideast even more unstable and dangerous.
Post a Comment