Pakistan

[TheBubba]

From Reuters: Musharraf imposes emergency rule

Looks like Pres. Musharraf has suspended the Pakistani Gov't in a bid to protect his own power. Apparently, he was under the impression the the judiciary wouldn't let him run again due to the fact that he's also the Army Chief of Staff.

Seems like this could be a potential destabilizing force in the region. Some are even calling it a potential failure of US Diplomacy in the region.

Anyone with a little more background knowledge care to chime in?
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSCOL19928320071103?pageNumber=1

 

[whitesoxnation]

[size=-2]not trying to threadjack, but checkout Oct 29th NEWSWEEK cover story

http://www.newsweek.com/id/57485[/size]

 

[skim]

I have been waiting for months now for Pakistan to implode, I am just surprised that it hasn't happened yet. I certainly was not shocked to hear of the attack against Bhutto.

 

[Grant]

Typical 3rd world dictatorship. They only observe their constitution when its convenient.

 

[skim]

here is an update
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21609019/

 

[Flash]

From Reuters: Musharraf imposes emergency rule

Looks like Pres. Musharraf has suspended the Pakistani Gov't in a bid to protect his own power. Apparently, he was under the impression the the judiciary wouldn't let him run again due to the fact that he's also the Army Chief of Staff.

Seems like this could be a potential destabilizing force in the region. Some are even calling it a potential failure of US Diplomacy in the region.

Anyone with a little more background knowledge care to chime in?

It is a bad situation and getting worse. The radicals are increasing their violence against the regime and the public is getting restless, a very bad combo (think Iran in 1978/79). Add Pakistan's nukes, it just gets worse.......

 

[Uncle Fester]

I love the knee-jerk reaction from the press to the effect that this is somehow the US's fault. Of course, according to them, everything IS our fault, but it seems rather patronizing to assume that we control, and thus are responsible for, all of our "allied" countries.

So now we've got a very shaky military dictatorship with nukes, with a country full of US troops on one side, a nuclear-armed blood enemy on the other, and crazed Islamic radicals waiting in the wings.

There is really just no way that this is going to end well for anyone involved, is there?

 

[skim]

It seems to be a lose lose for Washington right now. There is going to be some tight rope walking for the next few weeks it seems, or longer.

 

[skim]

More good news from our ally:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-uspakistan5nov05,0,2710389.story?coll=la-home-center

About 7 billion we gave them to combat extremists goes to arms that would be better suited for war with india, leaving those forces the money was supposed to go to undertrained and underarmed.