Musharraf Imposes Emergency Measures
What happens if an unfriendly government takes over Pakistan? Will Bush attack them like he threaten Iran because they have nukes?
(CNN) — U.S. military intelligence officials are urgently assessing how secure Pakistan’s nuclear weapons would be in the event President Gen. Pervez Musharraf were replaced as the nation’s leader, CNN has learned
Authorities began rounding up opposition politicians despite calls from Washington and other Western allies not to take authoritarian measures.
Forbes-Gen. Pervez Musharraf suspended Pakistan’s constitution and deployed troops in the capital Saturday, declaring that rising Islamic extremism had forced him to take emergency measures that included replacing the nation’s chief justice and blacking out the independent media that refused to support him.
The U.S. called for Musharraf to restore democracy. However, the Pentagon said the emergency declaration does not affect U.S. military support for Pakistan and its efforts in the war on terrorism. Britain said it was deeply concerned.
His leadership threatened by an increasingly defiant court and an Islamic movement that has spread to Islamabad, Musharraf said Pakistan was at a “dangerous” juncture and extremists had directly challenged the government’s authority.
You’re either with him (Musharraf) or against him.
They’re at war with terror. There is no room for error. Damn the constitution, and damn democracy!
Well what do you expect a “scientologist uprising”? Maybe they’re just pissed in general.
What is missing is that no matter what, any involvement by the U.S. adds to the “cost of war.” We have to borrow more from China, Russia, India, OPEC, Taiwan, So. Korea to fund any expansion of the war. Why don’t they add this to the mix in what we have to base our decisions on?
Guns and butter? May soon be “Guns and margarine.”
What if they cut back on buying our debt instead of loaning us more? Do they realize that they are doing to us what we and other nations did to Russia to bring them down?
Jan
What happened to “We won’t make that mistake again” which
George I was famous for? Since then we’ve been funding all types of groups and regimes in the Middle East and our own “experts” can’t even agree on what to do. And of course the whole world already knows the true agenda of the “experts” who are members of the PNAC.
Jan
What happened to “We won’t make that mistake again”
====================
They are too busy making new mistakes based on the same thinking that caused the original mistakes.
I was speaking to my “highway engineer” brother-in law about poor highway design and he listed all the engineering reasons things were done a certain way. Then I realized what the problem is. Human nature.
A group of highly educated people who are familiar with theory in the movement of matter at certain speeds in certain directions decide what is “theoretically best,” for an interchange, “dropped” lane, “round-about,” etc. But, “human nature” is 10% driving 10 mph below the speed limit (for their own reasons) 50% driving at the speed limit and 40% driving 10 to 20 mph over the speed limit (for their own and often different reasons and states of mind, late, selfish, impatient, etc.)
As a result, the “theories” based on certain factors, gets blown out the window.
It is that way in trying to impose democracy on a nation. It is that way trying to get 50 different states to all do the same things. It is that way when you try to convince nations in poverty to do what is best for your economy. It is that way when you try to get investors to invest in the U.S. or consumers to buy U.S. when there are better deals elsewhere.
There are no “road maps” that can guide a politician through the maze of “human nature” that drives nations, investment, economies, consumption. There are only trends that we can read and see where they are leading (good or bad) and then prepare, educate, adapt, etc. What should be, usually won’t be.
Thus, even the “one worlders,” if they get their way, will find their best laid plans laid to waste by “human nature” at some point.
Jan
You said it better than I could. If America really wants to export “the American way” why don’t we “fight off” various colonial powers here at home rather than trying to become the next Great Britain?? This country was built from the “bottom up” not the other way around.
Mr Konop,
“What happens if an unfriendly government takes over Pakistan?”
Huh?
Where have you been for the past few decades?
Pakistan is not what anyone would consider a “friendly” government !
David,
I wouldn’t call it a government, either.
I can’t recall the exact numbers but over 70% and maybe over 90% of average Pakistanis said ‘America’ had it coming [9/11].
We could see Balochistan leave Pakistani control and emerge as a new country. It has the most natural resources (natural gas) and the most hatred for Musharraf.
Musharraf has been screwing the region over for years as part of the ethnic problems that plague the entire country of Pakistan.
Despite the huge amount of foreign aid flowing into Pakistan since 9/11, Balochistan gets about a penny per citizen of all Pakistani government spending.
But, even a scenario where Balochistan becomes independent is far fetched. The Baloch and the Pashtuns really don’t like each other. So a united and peaceful Blochistan might be very unlikely.
Iran has strong cultural ties with the Pashtuns tribes.
Musharraf is number one in my ‘Dead Pool.’
MD
If the Army turns on ‘Busharraf,’ we’ll get a ‘friendly’ government in Pakistan.
With friends like those, we won’t need any enemies.