Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte told Congress that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is an "indispensable" ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism and that "partnership with Pakistan and its people is the only option." So what happens when this indispensable ally goes Rambo on its own people, those Pakistani's in partnership with America? Virtually nothing other than a request for dress change and holding elections in the near future at the end of a gun barrel.
Did John Negroponte mention the Musharraf regime's release of 28 Islamic extremists as his thugs cracked canes on lawyers, members of the independent media, and Bhutto supporters? Did the Deputy Secretary suggest what our Pakistani partners are to do without a constitution guaranteeing basic human rights and an independent judiciary capable of safeguarding the same?
The White House rode to Mr. Negroponte's defense. "It's been about five days," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. "I grant you that it feels long for all of us who are interested in wanting to get instant reaction. We are trying to get Pakistan back on its path to democracy."
Do you wonder why they use word's like instant reaction vs. rapid response? One invokes the image of a spoiled child, someone who might suggest a constitution is just a G-damned piece of paper. The other suggests a quick assessment based on a deep understanding of the system and its causes, followed by timely and appropriate action. What happens when the later runs into the former?
Pervez Musharraf looks like the very thing Bush has decried in the Middle East, a heavy handed dictator allied to a U.S. that prefers security over democracy. How does the government reframe the obvious comparison to Saddam Hussein and the Shah of Iran? Dana's doing it by implying anyone expecting immediate and forceful action is a spoiled brat.
I'm not asking for anything other than what America traditionally stood for as the world leader in freedom, civil rights, and improving the human condition. The sooner we return to those roots the better. Pervez Musharraf is four wheeling well off the road to democracy with the apparent support of John Negroponte. Something should be done other than a uniform change that helps George Bush's Iran rhetoric.
Did John Negroponte mention the Musharraf regime's release of 28 Islamic extremists as his thugs cracked canes on lawyers, members of the independent media, and Bhutto supporters? Did the Deputy Secretary suggest what our Pakistani partners are to do without a constitution guaranteeing basic human rights and an independent judiciary capable of safeguarding the same?
The White House rode to Mr. Negroponte's defense. "It's been about five days," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. "I grant you that it feels long for all of us who are interested in wanting to get instant reaction. We are trying to get Pakistan back on its path to democracy."
Do you wonder why they use word's like instant reaction vs. rapid response? One invokes the image of a spoiled child, someone who might suggest a constitution is just a G-damned piece of paper. The other suggests a quick assessment based on a deep understanding of the system and its causes, followed by timely and appropriate action. What happens when the later runs into the former?
Pervez Musharraf looks like the very thing Bush has decried in the Middle East, a heavy handed dictator allied to a U.S. that prefers security over democracy. How does the government reframe the obvious comparison to Saddam Hussein and the Shah of Iran? Dana's doing it by implying anyone expecting immediate and forceful action is a spoiled brat.
I'm not asking for anything other than what America traditionally stood for as the world leader in freedom, civil rights, and improving the human condition. The sooner we return to those roots the better. Pervez Musharraf is four wheeling well off the road to democracy with the apparent support of John Negroponte. Something should be done other than a uniform change that helps George Bush's Iran rhetoric.
