Comments on: Pervez Musharraf: How Good Of An Ally Is He Really?

By: kritter

kritter — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:52:29 +0000

Wouldn’t it be like removing Saddam? You’d get chaos, with the added bonus of Islamic extremists (Taliban) fighting for control with the more secular moderates. Plus they already have nukes, which without Musharaf, might easily land in the hands of al queda, the Taliban and OBL.

I agree with Doma, that we are held back from dealing with this and other situations because of Iraq. But, I have often posted that I don’t understand why we view Iran as an existential threat while ignoring the even more dangerous Pakistan, and the disaffected extremists coming to Iraq from Saudi Arabia.

By: domajot

domajot — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:27:16 +0000

I totally agree that Musharaff Is just using US money to stay in power. He is a very suspect person in a myriad of ways.
I’m not sure at all, however, that his fall from power would be followed by a more reliable government. The commentary I’ve read always refers to a return to a civil government in rather vague terms and takes for granted the ability to control the army, the IDF and the Islamists. Cirruption, too. seems to be a persistent part of governing in much of the ME. Given the very complex and volatile situation, I think a high degree of turbulence, unrest and unreliability is a more likely alternative to Mushafaff. There is always the risk that the Islamists would come out gaining.

Like in Iraq, the US is in a damned-if-you-do,
damned-if -you-don’t situation re Pakistan, IMO.

The Saudis are equally suspect allies Like Musharaff, the royal family just wants to stay in power, They’re off limits, of course, because of oil

While I agree with everything that’s said to be wrong, I don’t see any way out while Iraq is in chaos. It all comes back to Iraq and how that ties our hands in all other areas. It would be just plain catastrophic if Afghan fell as a result.

By: Pajamas Media

Pajamas Media — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:58:58 +0000

How Good Of An Ally?

Jeb Koogler @ The Moderate Voice takes a look at Pakistan’s president Pervez Musharraf….

By: kimrit

kimrit — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:41:43 +0000

Isn’t Musharaf trying to hold on to his precarious position, despite tremendous political opposition within his own country? OSB is much more popular in Pakistan than he is, and as others have mentioned his security services are full of Taliban sympathizers. He is a weak dictator warding off oppositions with repressive tactics. Anything he could do that would really help the US would probably cause a coup or get him assasinated.

By: Cernig

Cernig — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:58:20 +0000

Nice post, Jeb. I couldn’t agree more and would go further. Jane’s Intelligence review last year described the Taliban as the deliberate proxy of the Pakistani ISI. NATO allies see the situation likewise and have added that Mullah Omar is being sheltered at an ISI compound in Quetta.

Yet the Pakistani government periodically turns up “Taliban leaders” who have always, co-incidentally, also been implicated in attacks on Musharaff. That’s the entire extent of their co-operation in the wider war on terror.

So Pakistan gets billions in aid, which then gets spent on arms from GOP-donating firms. And you wonder why Republican leaders refuse to see what’s staring them in their faces…

Regards, C

By: jdledell

jdledell — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:57:49 +0000

Jeb – Two issues come to mind regarding Pakistan. First, I believe that Musharraf is deliberately keeping Afganistan and the Waziristan on a low boil. He knows that as long as both areas are simmering with terrorism, the US will have to stay around and continue to bribe him with billions to keep him on our “side”. If he is successful against terrorism in his area of control, we won’t need him anymore. He certainly remembers how we dumped Pakistan after the Soviets left Afganistan.

Secondly, if the US really wants a partner against Islamic terrorism in the Pakistan/Afganistan areas it will require the indiginous people to make it happen. We have been paying lip service to “soft power” while pursuing a primarily military solution, by NATO/US and the Pakistan military in the tribal areas. A return to democratic/civilian control of Pakistan has a chance of rallying the people behind an effort to control Islamic militants.

By: Rudi

Rudi — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:51:16 +0000

What would happen if any Senator or Congressman brought this up as an issue? Almost no one in the “bubble headed bleach blonds” 24 hous vable news would go with it, to complicated and doesn’t fit with the missing blond housewife story line. If the Congress passed a resolution removing any aid to Pakistan without benchmarks the Bushinistas would claim foreign policy interference.

By: Pervez Musharraf: How Good Of An Ally Is He Really? · Articles

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By: Robert Stein

Robert Stein — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:07:54 +0000

If you think Pakistan is an iffy ally, take a good look at Saudi Arabia:

http://ajliebling.blogspot.com/2007/07/killers-in-iraq-saudi-connection.html

By: Pervez Musharraf: How Good Of An Ally Is He Really? · New York Articles

Pervez Musharraf: How Good Of An Ally Is He Really? · New York Articles — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:48:42 +0000

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