Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf finally got his relief valve opened as pressure soared from the international community. A blast, a possible suicide bomber, occurred outside the home of a government official in Northwest Pakistan. The minister of political affairs had a narrow escape in the bombing of his house.
After declaring martial law last Saturday, the Pakistani President committed a litany of undemocratic acts, all in the name of combating extremism. Few of acts actually involved the Islamic extremists he supposedly targeted, except one. On Sunday, the BBC reported 28 militants were freed, some suspected suicide bombers. In return the government got hundreds of soldiers back.
Did one of those freed militants conduct the bombing? I hope the Pakistani people can find out, but with their independent media shuttered, it could be difficult to investigate.
After declaring martial law last Saturday, the Pakistani President committed a litany of undemocratic acts, all in the name of combating extremism. Few of acts actually involved the Islamic extremists he supposedly targeted, except one. On Sunday, the BBC reported 28 militants were freed, some suspected suicide bombers. In return the government got hundreds of soldiers back.
Did one of those freed militants conduct the bombing? I hope the Pakistani people can find out, but with their independent media shuttered, it could be difficult to investigate.
Meanwhile, free Americans can observe the bombing happened in the lawless tribal region, which remains lawless, even under the imposition of martial law. President Musharraf's troops control lawyers, judges, political opponents and the independent media in other parts of the country. If the problem is extremists, why aren't the military and paramilitary folks headed to Waziristan where al Qaeda and pro Taliban militants congregate? That's where the bombing just occurred. Why are they cracking heads in formerly free and safe areas of the country?
