[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Ali Eteraz offers policy recommendations in the wake of the Bhutto killing

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Posted by Mary Madigan:
Ali Eteraz offers policy recommendations in the wake of the Bhutto killing
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1198942229.shtml


   From [1]Pajamas Media

     Why is it that Pakistanâs extremists (who purportedly hate
     Musharraf and democracy) are not consistent in targeting
     pro-Musharraf and pro-democracy people? Why do they pick and
     choose?

     I think the answer is apparent: in Pakistan, if you do not
     criticize the Islamists, you will not be targeted. Musharraf and
     Bhutto did criticize the Islamists and that is why they tend to end
     up in the jihadi cross-hairs. Nawaz Sharif, on the other hand, has
     long pandered to Jamat e Islami (and in the early 90âs even Bin
     Laden), while Mullah Diesel heads the main pro-Taliban party. There
     is no reason for extremists to attack these people; they are
     already on the same side.

     The fact is that Musharraf has choked Pakistanâs political process
     for nearly a decade now, which has contributed significantly to the
     expansion of extremism.

     To top it all off, the U.S. has absolutely no leverage in
     Pakistan...

     ...The second, more realistic solution is for the U.S. to openly
     dump Musharraf and pull itself out of any semblance of involvement
     in Pakistanâs internal political affairs. The U.S. needs to be in a
     position where it has not been in a long time with Pakistan:
     objective...

     more realistic solution is for the U.S. to openly dump Musharraf
     and pull itself out of any semblance of involvement in Pakistanâs
     internal political affairs. The U.S. needs to be in a position
     where it has not been in a long time with Pakistan: objective.

     As Mansoor Ijaz suggests at the National Review, the U.S. should
     call for Musharraf to set up an independent international
     investigation surrounding the killing of Ms. Bhutto.

     An independent panel will likely conclude that it was the
     terrorists that killed Ms. Bhutto and not any elements associated
     with Musharraf himself.

   I agree that an international investigation would be a good idea, but
   I don't agree that the US has "absolutely no leverage in Pakistan" or
   that the US should "openly dump Musharraf and pull itself out of any
   semblance of involvement in Pakistanâs internal political affairs"

   First, we do have leverage in Pakistan; second, removing our influence
   from Pakistan's internal political affairs would put the world in more
   danger, not less, since we are, as reported here in the New York
   Times, [2]"secretly" aiding Pakistan in guarding their nuclear arms.

   "Secretly" as used in the New York Times is, of course, a relative
   term. If Ali meant "openly" in the same way, this could be a good
   idea.
   [cross-posted at [3]Solomonia]

References

   1. http://pajamasmedia.com/2007/12/auditing_pakistan.php
   2. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/washington/18nuke.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
   3. http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archive/2007/12/ali-eteraz-offers-policy-recommendations/