Is US Ready To Dump Pakistan’s Musharraf?
The Times of India today asked this question. “The writing seems to be on the wall for Pakistan’s military ruler Pervez Musharraf. Uncle Sam, the General’s Patron-in-Chief, is showing signs of cashiering his favoured stooge and preparing grounds for his succession.”
While The New York Times says: “For decades, the military has been the most dominant institution in Pakistan. If Mr. Musharraf were to fall to an assassin’s bullet, American diplomatic and intelligence officials say, it is unlikely that there would be mass uprisings in Lahore and Karachi, or that a religious leader in the Taliban mold would rise to power.
“ ‘I am not particularly worried about an extremist government coming to power and getting hold of nuclear weapons,’ said Robert Richer, who was associate director of operations in 2004 and 2005 for the Central Intelligence Agency. ‘If something happened to Musharraf tomorrow, another general would step in.’
“Based on the succession plan, the vice chief of the army, Gen. Ahsan Saleem Hyat, would take over as the leader of the army and Mohammedmian Soomro, an ex-banker, would become president.
“American officials say that Pakistan’s intelligence service, the I.S.I., continues to play a direct role in arming and financing the Taliban’s re-emergence in western Pakistan, and there are worries about the relationships between some senior military leaders and Islamist groups.
“The ties between Islamic militants and Pakistan’s security services are decades old, with the two sides working together most closely during the mujahadeen battles against the Soviet Army in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
“The fear within Washington that Islamic extremism has become a dominant force in Pakistan has been stoked in part by Mr. Musharraf himself. Some analysts say his warnings are used to maintain a steady flow of American aid and keep at bay demands from Washington for democratic reforms. He often invokes the dangers of Islamic radicalism when meeting American officials in Washington and Islamabad, and his narrow escape in two assassination attempts is frequently cited by President Bush as evidence of his tenuous grip on power.
“While the Islamists would surely take power in any way possible, an examination of polling data and recent election results — however suspect in a less than democratic country — provides little evidence that Islamists have enough support to take over the country. If anything, they would likely control only select areas.
“The last time Pakistan went to the polls in 2002, religious political parties received just 11 percent of the vote, compared with more than 28 percent won by the secular party led by Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister.
“And that election may have even been a high-water mark for the Islamists, who were capitalizing on surging anti-American sentiment after the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Even though the Iraq war has also inflamed anti-Western attitudes, these sentiments do not seem to have translated into electoral gains for Islamist parties.”
Meanwhile Musharraf has sacked Pakistan’s Chief Justice. Says The Times of India: “Pakistan is in the throes of a ‘junta versus judiciary’ clash between president Pervez Musharraf and chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry after the latter, suspected to be under house arrest, refused to resign amid nationwide protests by lawyers in his support.
“Lawyers, media persons and even a sitting judge, Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, were turned away from Chaudhry’s residence, ‘politely, but firmly’, by the police and staff, local reports said.
“Protests and rallies took place across the country as PM Shaukat Aziz tersely justified the president’s action of suspending Chaudhry and referring the charge of misuse of authority levelled against him before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).”
Another news story quoted Bush administration as saying that “the US forces have been conducting hot pursuit of terrorists into Pakistani territory and will continue to do so if circumstances demand it.
“Dropping all concern for Pakistani sensitivities and any pretence of shielding General Musharraf from a domestic backlash on the issue, a high-ranking US military official told a Senate committee that American forces on Afghanistan’s eastern border routinely fire upon and pursue Taliban enemies into Pakistan.
” ‘We have all the authorities we need to pursue, either with artillery fire or on the ground, across the border,’ Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“Pakistan had insisted to date that no foreign forces would be allowed to violate its territory.”
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15 Responses to “Is US Ready To Dump Pakistan’s Musharraf?”
“Is US Ready To Dump Pakistan’s Musharraf?”
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“If Mr. Musharraf were to fall to an assassin’s bullet, American diplomatic and intelligence officials say, it is unlikely that there would be mass uprisings in Lahore and Karachi, or that a religious leader in the Taliban mold would rise to power.”
Somebody here remembers how the US ‘fired’ (pun intended) that president of South Vietnam, what was his name? Well, that sure helped the South Vietnamese a lot in fighting the Vietcong, right?
When will the US finally accept hat all their interference in other countries’ domestic politics is totally counterproductive? The changes have to come from within. Didn’t the idiotic predictions about the possible effects of the fall of Saddam finally make that point?
While a democratic government for Pakistan sure is something that ought to be desired, the question is if a leadership that has to make ammends to public opinion will fare any better in combating extremism and outright insurgency in the border provinces. The prescribed cure might be worse than the desease…
“little evidence that Islamists have enough support to take over the country”
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I just hope assurances like this don’t end up in the ‘famous last words’ file,
“I just hope assurances like this don’t end up in the ‘famous last words’ file”
Well said, domajot!
Only one political experiment at a time please. The Militants don’t want a secular democracy, they want an Islamic dictatorship. The idea that the people of Pakistan would all dance with joy in the streets over the liberation from tyranny is a false one. The country would split apart along tribal lines and who knows where the nukes would end up.
It is too early to say that. Gen Ahsan Saleem Hyat will never betray him.
The problem is, who replaces Musharraf if Musharraf quits or is — removed — someday?
The country would split apart along tribal lines and who knows where the nukes would end up.
History tells us that US used the nuke in war. How can the preach others not to use it ?
The truth is Pakistan’s Shiites do not want Musharraf in Power.
Iran is using its co-religionist to topple him.
[...] â€? ‘We have all the authorities we need to pursue, either with artillery fire or on the ground, across the border,’ Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute told the Senate Armed Services Committee.” For more please click here… [...]
I read this crap with amused interest. It appears that the writer was punch drunk with cheap Indian booze or was sufficiently ‘high’ with marijuana or hashish while scabbing these incoherent lines!
Pakistan’s Nuclear War Heads more Vulnerable by its army rather than
Pakistani Mullahs whom are controlled by army.
Pakistani army is world most greedy and blackmailer army in the world. There are thousands of greedy Army officers in Pakistani Army ranks who will easily will tade nuclear arsinals
I agree susan. Indians have never accepted the partition with open mind. They have this pain in the ass kind of attitude towards Pakistan, no matter. Nukes are not toys which can be put into a shopping bad and fired from a rifle. There many nukes disappeared from earlier Soviet Union states and no one knows where are they… So better think about those who is having suitcase nuke bombs….Mushraff lives or die, no body would weep for him in Pakistan. People in Pakistan are concerned about their bread and butter more than useless issue. The media normally shows a few crazy people who are often paid to do media shows and scare West and extract $$$$$$……..so wake uppppppppppppppppp
Pakistan’s Nuclear War Heads more Vulnerable by its army rather than
Pakistani Mullahs whom are controlled by army.
Pakistani army is world’s most greedy and blackmailer army in the world. There are thousands of greedy Army officers in Pakistani Army ranks who will easily will trade nuclear arsinals for cash.
On the other hand Musharraf made millions while in the office and busy to help his home boys(MQM) in sind and Balochistan to grab as much land and arms amunation as they can in case of civil war situaition particular in sind. Thats how this country has been running since its creation. Cash first than the country and its poor people.
Why does everyone think that Pakistan is a country which has not thought about the issue of what happens if something were to happen to Musharraf? why do they think mullahs dominate the country and can play with our nukes. And as far as USA goes the general opinion is that they will dump us when the Taliban problem is over and that seems a long way from here.
And our army is not greedy, or money crazy and has given many a sacrifice for this country!
And by the way why are they debating what happens if Musharraf is killed………..
Please change the name from The Moderate Voice to ‘INTOLERENT VOICES’