Getting Up To Date On: Pakistan

By Steve Hynd

We've already covered some of the news on Afghanistan readers might have missed over Thanksgiving. Now, what about its neighbour Pakistan?

Well, the big pre-Turkey story was Jeremy Scahill's expose of the involvement of a Blackwater subsiduary in gathering intelligence, drone operation and covert operations there. The U.S. and Pakistani governments have both carefully denied Blackwater's involvement (heh, it's a subsiduary, dude!) but as Jeremy himself says, never believe a story like this until its been officially denied. If it was really ridiculous, they wouldn't have to say anything at all.

In Pakistan, although the media covered Jeremy's scoop with some gusto, its really been a minor story compared with ongoing corruption allegations against President Zardari, which look like they may just bring him down. If they do, the Blackwater story and military anger at their not being fully in the loop on Obama's Afghan decision will be major contributors, as will ongoing domestic terrorist violence from the TTP.

Zardari should have remembered that being an ostensibly "democratic" figurehead for a military that now prefers to rule from behind the curtain means you're always in danger of being deposed by that same military. Perhaps his likely successor as frontman for General Kayani, the current Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, will remember better.

Meanwhile, a Pakistani military that has decided to reassert its roile as kingmaker will worry India, which always keeps a mindful eye on the alliance between its two rivals, Pakistan and China. The region is looking less stable right now, but its not Islamist militancy that's making it so, rather it is the interface between existing dictatorships and Western insistence on democratization and meddling that's the main culprit.