Big Oops in Pakistan
 

It appears our democratic allies in the war on terror are becoming less democratic. I wonder if Bush is taking notes. I wonder what he saw when he looked into Musharraf's soul.:eyebrow:

So this all started when we helped overthrow the government in Iran. We supported a dictator, who was overthrown by a government we didn't like. So we supported a dictator (Iraq) in a war against Iran at the same time we supported Islamist fighters in Afghanistan against a Soviet-backed government. We changed our minds about Iraq when the dictator invaded Kuwait, making our non-democratic allies in the oil producing states nervous. So we went to war with Iraq and ignored Afghanistan when the Soviets were pushed out, creating a power vacuum.

A little over 10 years later, Islamists from Saudi Arabia and a few other countries, supported by some of the Islamists we supported against the Soviets, blow up the World Trade center, so we invade Afghanistan and while we're at it invade Iraq.

Meanwhile, we rely on Saudi Arabia, which is not a democracy, as one of our allies, and pump in support to Musharraf in Pakistan, which sort of looks like a democracy on paper, like Iraq with Hussein, but whose leader seems to be taking on dictatorial powers.

And now the gloves come off and we have an open-ended state of emergency following an election, with Musharraf acting more like Hussein when he took power.

Why does our Middle East policy resemble the old lady who swallowed a fly?


From here

Since you didn't mention it, I might perhaps point out that that "government we didn't like" was and is no less undemocratic than the Shah's. That's why we wouldn't like them. That and the way they behave with our diplomatic personnel. Most undiplomatic -- and has their behavior improved much since 1977? Nope.

I might also mention that Kissinger remarked of the Iraq-Iran War, "It's a pity they both can't lose."

Put numbers to America's support for Musharraf. That's $130 million per month - almost all in military aid. Most of it did not exist until after 2000 - the Democrats had enough smarts to stay away from Musharraf - using UG reasoning. This is how Urban Guerrilla says America will promote democracy? Musharraf even quotes (misquotes) Lincoln to prove he is the good guy. Didn't George Jr look into Musharraf's eyes to see a promoter of democracy? Would George have lied about this to Americans? Musharraf has even arrested the Chief Justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court for conspiracy again Pakistan's government. But again another Muslim leader selected for his cooperation with America. How many more Islamic nations (even Turkey) will turn against America due to George Jr's political agendas.

Never forget the discussion in Project for a New American Century that said we must protect *OUR* oil. When does civil war start in Nigeria?

Somehow I don't recall our government or any persons with expertise in government exclaim that Pakistan was really a democracy.

except, you know, our president...

Well he is a putz, and I said no one with expertise in government!

touche.

But a country that beats up and jails all there lawyers, can't be all bad.

The lawyer today was once a royal Knight. Todays lawyers take to the streets to do battle just as in the days of old?

Or Saddam's, pre-Desert Storm. He was our friend then, too.

Wouldn't we invade them if they aren't? :rolleyes:

I've been waiting for someone to say that. :D

i've been waiting for someone to dothat. here please. start in DC.

Why would you advocate that. They had a fairly clean coupe. He was the general, moved in and became king. Kicked out all the potential opposition. No one officially ever claimed or believed that it was a democracy.