Bush's secret plan with Musharraf (Pakistan)

[varun]

No wonder * loves dictators...and has been praising Musharraf as a "best Ally"
:eyes:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/776310.cms

... is a pointer to Washington’s interest in drafting the Pakistani army for the messy job of policing Iraq, where US troops are taking casualties almost every day.

Pakistani troops would initially be inducted under the guise of protecting the UN contingent. Once the water is tested, Washington might seek a greater role for Pakistan in Iraq.

The Pakistani media has already raised a red flag in this regard, pointing out that Haidar was a more obvious choice because he is a former diplomat and Iraq also has traditionally had better ties with India than with Pakistan. There is suspicion and concern in Pakistan that the Bush administration has reached a secret understanding with Gen Musharraf...

[skypilot]

1. Oh wonderful.

Maybe the Shias and Sunnis will stop fighting each other just long enough to fight the Pakistanis. Good show, lets WIDEN the conflict.

[lanparty]

3. Agreed ...

The only people Arabs hate more than Israelis and Americans are ...

EACH OTHER !!!!!!

[sinkingfeeling]

2. I also wonder what all has been given/promised

to General Musharraf....we didn't make a peep over his scientist selling nuclear secrets/parts to other countries...able to get Pakistan to do all the hunting for Taliban and bin Laden... asking them to turn HVT during Democratic convention. Are we providing long-range missles? More nuclear arms? Saying they can take on India and we won't interfere?

[nomaco-10]

5. bush* wouldn't allow him to take on India.....

that's where all the jobs are outsourced to. His biggest donors to his campaign would not be too happy if they couldn't keep getting richer off backs of cheap outsourced labor.

[nomaco-10]

4. This all may backfire in a huge way....

Pakistan is teeming with Islamic fundamentalists with Al Qaeda ties. If Mussharraf sends troops to Iraq or drops a dime on bin laden as an election gift to bush*, there could be civil unrest and another destablized country in the Middle East. Only difference this time, is that Pakistan really does have weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons.

[skypilot]

6. And the fundamentalists...

...try to assassinate Musharraf whenever they can. If Musharraf agreed to send troops to Iraq on Bush's account the assassins would be sure not to miss next time. We'd be that much closer to the brink. Do you feel safer yet?

[varun]

7. What is surprising is...

...that Dumbya called Iraq, N. Korea, and Iran the axis of evil...and Pakistan the MNNA (major non Nato ally)...

when Pakistan is harboring Osama, its the source of most of the terrorists in the world, it has WMD...and is selling the technology to the rest of the world.

How screwed up is * ?

[skypilot]

8. And if I'm not mistaken...

...American troops aren't allowed to set foot on Pakistani soil, even to look for Bin Laden.

[nomaco-10]

9. You're right.....

We are not allowed in Pakistan. Those must have been some deals struck behind closed doors to keep bush* from invading the mountains of Pakistan and capturing UBL.

When Turkey wouldn't allow us to use their airfields to invade Iraq, they were sanctioned by the withdrawl of huge amounts of loans, in other words, Turkey couldn't be bribed. I'm sure this came as a complete shock to bush* as he is accustomed to everything having a price, and if you can't buy it, well hell, just blow it up real good.

I often wonder what the real deal with Pakistan is. There is definitely something shady going on.

[varun]

10. Bush and Mush - two dictators propping each other up...

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/09/opinion/09FRI2.html

Pakistan Without Illusions
Published: July 9, 2004

Pakistan's military dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has done such a good job of repackaging himself as a vital American ally against radical Islamic terrorism that it is easy to forget how alarming Washington rightly found so many of General Musharraf's policies not very long ago. He crushed Pakistani democracy, was, at the least, recklessly indifferent to safeguards against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and supported the Taliban and the terrorist groups active in Indian-ruled areas of Kashmir.

General Musharraf publicly broke with the Taliban almost three years ago, but there has been inadequate progress on many of the other issues, and Pakistan has recently appeared to be backsliding on the Taliban.

Many of the biggest dangers America faces over the next few decades are present in General Musharraf's Pakistan, starting with the way arbitrary dictatorships like his have become dangerous pressure cookers of discontent across the Muslim world. Ever since he seized power in a 1999 coup, General Musharraf has promised an early return to electoral democracy. Almost five years later, he still shows no inclination to share or yield power eventually, and he still derives his authority solely from control of the Army. Leading civilian politicians remain banned. Even the powerless prime minister named to add a veneer of electoral legitimacy to military rule was fired last month for proving insufficiently docile...

[nomaco-10]

11. Thanks for the article.....

You can always count on the good old NYT. It's one of the last bastians of legitimate journalism left in this country. No wonder they drive FAUX news and the rightwing propaganda machines crazy.
Informative article. Thanks