Heavy handed Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte goes where ineffective Condoleeza Rice can't. He just arrived in Pakistan to tell the Pakistani dictator to change his dress, free up some press and schedule elections at the end of a gun barrel. Well, it sounds like the wild, wild West with George W. and John already rough riding in the region.
We'll see if Pervez decides to join and make it a threesome. He clearly blazed his own trail far off the road to democracy. But my guess is Musharraf still wants to play with some of those military toys, provided courtesy of Uncle Sam's largess. Right now he is four wheeling in a Hummer. So far, he hit the independent judiciary, ran over a god damned piece of paper, shut out the light of independent media and is doing doughnuts around his political opponents, stuck in place from fear.
What toys did Mr. Negroponte offer the Pakistani dictator for his compliance with U.S. wishes? Big carrots and big sticks, that's what George Bush is all about. The problem is Bush can't use his Hitler comparison on the Iranian President while Pervez dances around in uniform. Strange days? Indeed!
We'll see if Pervez decides to join and make it a threesome. He clearly blazed his own trail far off the road to democracy. But my guess is Musharraf still wants to play with some of those military toys, provided courtesy of Uncle Sam's largess. Right now he is four wheeling in a Hummer. So far, he hit the independent judiciary, ran over a god damned piece of paper, shut out the light of independent media and is doing doughnuts around his political opponents, stuck in place from fear.
What toys did Mr. Negroponte offer the Pakistani dictator for his compliance with U.S. wishes? Big carrots and big sticks, that's what George Bush is all about. The problem is Bush can't use his Hitler comparison on the Iranian President while Pervez dances around in uniform. Strange days? Indeed!
