Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
Back to Main

August 9, 2007
Reporting on Bushsharraf

The Washington Post reports on the military dictator in Pakistan.

As Busharraf is a "courageous leader and strong ally" in the war of  terror, some subtle editing by the Post’s foreign service editor was certainly justified:

Musharraf May Abort Election Impose Emergency Rule

Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, may decide to impose emergency rule because of upcoming elections deteriorating security conditions and the growing threat of violence by Islamic extremists, a senior government official in Islamabad said Wednesday.
…
"Given upcoming elections the external and internal threats we are facing, especially on the border areas, the possibility of emergency cannot be ruled out," Azim said. Rashid Qureshi, a spokesman for Musharraf, denied reports that the president planned to suspend the elections citizens’ rights.

Under the country’s constitution, the president may impose emergency rule if Pakistan faces elections a severe internal or external threat. Such a decree could restrict elections, freedom of speech and movement.

Posted by b on August 9, 2007 at 07:13 UTC | Permalink
Comments

Would that be a reference to the threatened invasion of Pakistan by one of its ‘close allies’?

Posted by: hopping madbunny | Aug 9 2007 9:44 utc | 1

@hopping madbunny – no.
It is about U.S. pressure on Musharraf to let Benazir Bhutto in again and to hand her the keys in the elections at the end of the year. (Bhutto was prime minister in 1988 and kicked out for kleptocraty.)
Musharraf has no personal urge to share his position and is looking for an excuse to cancel the elections. Obama’s (misinterpreted) threats and such are helping him to do so.

Posted by: b | Aug 9 2007 10:27 utc | 2

within the very near future which perhaps i will not see – there are clearly going to be catastrophic movements in both pakistan & egypt – the gravity of these coming events will have been accentuated by the corruptness of the policy of the us empire
indonesia & the phillipines are also going to develop some very complicated scenarios – again accentuated by the ineptitude of the us & its puppets in the region like australia

Posted by: remembereringgiap | Aug 9 2007 12:51 utc | 3

Musharraf says no emergency … for now …
Musharraf decides against Pakistan emergency

Embattled President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday decided against imposing a state of emergency in Pakistan to cope with growing security and stability concerns, a senior government official told AFP.
The military ruler, facing the greatest challenge to his leadership since he seized power in a 1999 coup, decided against the move — which would have postponed next year’s elections — after conferring with aides, he said.
…
“The president believes in holding free and fair elections in the country on schedule and he is not in favour of taking any measures that would be a hurdle in this objective,” a close political ally of Musharraf said.
“He feels that there is no requirement of imposing a state of emergency,” he said.
The imposition of emergency measures would have derailed that commitment as it would automatically have extended the tenure of the current parliament for another 12 months, as well as curtailing judicial and civil freedoms.
Musharraf’s aides had argued that Pakistan could not afford further instability, especially with the capital’s security already breached since security forces raided a mosque last month that had been taken over by Islamic radicals.
By rejecting the advice of his aides, Musharraf had denied ammunition to his political rivals, among them exiled former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto who have signalled their intention to return home to contest the elections.

Posted by: b | Aug 9 2007 14:54 utc | 4

b,
I was just getting ready to link a similar BBC article. In any case, either he has seen the light and backed down, or come up with an even more sinister Plan B. I somehow suspect the latter.

Posted by: ralphieboy | Aug 9 2007 16:27 utc | 5

He’s done the numbers. Whatever Bhutto has on him he has on Bhutto in spades. There is no need for Mushareef to worry too much at present as his attacks on mosques and rounding up of honest judges has probably endeared him to the corrupt technocrats of Karachi and Islamabad. These are normally Bhutto supporters.
By threatening a state of emergency, an act which makes everyone’s life mean and miserable, then cancelling it Mushareef has sent a signal to the urban types he’s not such a bad bloke. As for the rural areas which are probably divided between traditional Bhutto supporters (those areas which benefitted from the pork-barrel), and the the rest who favour an Islamic oriented regime and who probably make up the bulk of the electorate, Mushareef has the army who have been well trained by the amerikans in how to turn water into wine during an election.
The UN observers or Jimmy Carter’s mob who never really challenge shonky elections anyway, will hang around the cities, where their security can be guaranteed. The country people will have their votes stolen, ballot boxes stuffed and be told which way to vote at the point of a gun.
They will complain, but hell aren’t there always complaints when an amerikan ally wins an election, those people just don’t understand democracy. Third world idjits. That’s prolly the trouble in Florida too many third world types who don’t understand how amerikan democracy works.
The result will be a transitional coalition government. Something like Mushareef prez and Bhutto Prime Minister. Where Bhuttos mob get to put their fingers in the till and in that way the embarrassing parades of bourgois types thru the city streets will pretty much end. Mushareef will retain control of military and foreign policy affairs and use his army to get back to ‘nation building’ ie killing his countrymen in rural areas.
Amerika is happy the Pakistani military are happy and the urban technocrats are happy. Win Win Win for the usual suspects and lose lose lose for the ordinary people of Pakistan. Everything Tickety Boo same as it always was.

Posted by: Debs is dead | Aug 9 2007 21:12 utc | 6

@DoD – I am not sure that Musharraf will be happy with that arrangement. Why should he let in Bhutto at all? Oh yeah, there is some reason …
Anyway Empire Associated Press: Musharraf move seen as sign of weakness

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf backed away Thursday from imposing a state of emergency in Pakistan that would have drastically curtailed freedoms.
The decision came after strong opposition from critics in and out of government. That Musharraf was even considering such an idea was seen as a sign of weakness from the embattled leader as he seeks re-election for another five-year term.
…
In Washington, President Bush told reporters he had seen no evidence that Musharraf was preparing to make an emergency declaration. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke by phone with Musharraf early Thursday in Pakistan, said spokesman Sean McCormack, declining to give details of the discussion.
“President Musharraf and the Pakistani government have … demonstrated that they want to operate within its laws and Pakistan’s constitution,” McCormack said.

Posted by: b | Aug 9 2007 21:51 utc | 7

China gifted Pakistan the nuke. All that dollar talk, $20 me luv you long time.

Posted by: Cloned Poster | Aug 9 2007 22:11 utc | 8

Topamax dosage.

Topamax side effects. Topamax. Menorrhagia topamax. Topamax weight loss.

Posted by: Side effects of topamax. | Feb 6 2010 15:46 utc | 9

Who has tried topamax for binge eating.

Topamax as an appetite suppresant. Topamax when will it help my binging. Topamax. Topamax bipolar.

Posted by: Topamax appetite suppresant. | Feb 6 2010 23:46 utc | 10

Back to Main