Dangerous Liasons

By Cernig

Over at The Guardian today, Wajahat Ali writes a whole lot of sense about America's banking on new Pakistani President Zardari and on bipartisan policy plans to essentially continue Bush's love for unprincipled scoundrels in charge of that reluctant ally in the War on Terror.

With a deadly terrorist bomb blast at the Islamabad Marriott killing nearly 60 last week and a marked increase in suicide blasts inside Pakistan's borders, one can only hope the US learns from the error of its siding with thugs, thieves and dictators in Pakistan for the past 30 years or thereabouts. Instead, the administration, and even the Democrats, is now siding with Zardari, a known felon and thief, who – if we are to believe his own doctors – was suicidal and incoherent just a year ago. Yet, we seem doomed to repeat a myopic policy in yet another desperate attempt to aggressively pursue terrorists hiding within the North-West Frontier province Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

If Zardari still harbours those same psychological demons, a surefire politically suicidal move would be to unconditionally support Bush's recent, shortsighted "offensive" policy; one that directly threatens Pakistan's sovereignty and emboldens the militants within its borders. Unfortunately, in my recent interview with Howard Dean it seems the Democrats would follow suit in order to hunt al-Qaida and appear strong in the "war on terror". Instead, this policy should be thoroughly re-examined and critically questioned in order to avoid a massive, inevitable blowback, further destabilising an already fragile nation state with access to nuclear weapons.

If anything, it would temporarily diffuse the rampant anger and disgust proliferating amongst the Pakistani people. Many who believe the US is merely installing and supporting, via a sham-democratic process, yet another puppet to serve its own interests.

Spot on.

Comments

[faheem Raza]

i am shocked on comments made by Cernig , about pakistan elected President who bagged the Presdential slot with winning majority votes not entered in President house with migh of guns .
Pakistani President asif Ali zardari is more capable President than past Presidents of the Pakistan .
We should analyse his politics first time in history of Pakistan any party leader had shown maturity and never grabbed the rights of other political players just did in Pakistan past politics that artfical rulers were imoposed on us .
Zardari is capable and better than past president , his sin is only that he is widower of PPP slain chairperson miss Bhutto who never like by eastblishment .