Ever since 9/11, Gen. Musharraf's rule over Pakistan has put the
U.S. in a bind, presenting us with the tradeoff between having a
strong ruler at the helm of a volatile nuclear state with a sizable
population of Islamists and supporting a military dictator. This
news (via the Washington Post) will make it increasingly difficult
for the U.S. to justify its support for Musharraf, especially given
the Bush administration's interest in democracy promotion:
Police throughout the country raided the homes of
opposition party leaders and activists, arresting at least 500. Top
lawyers were also taken into custody, and 70 activists were
detained at the offices of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
in the eastern city of Lahore. Police confiscated the equipment of
journalists covering the raid and ordered them to leave the
premises. All independent television news stations remained off the
air for a second straight day. The prime minister, meanwhile, said
that elections could be delayed for up to a year.
Condi Rice
said the U.S. will review the $150
million in monthly assistance we provide to Pakistan, but it seems
to me that the administration will likely wait to see if this state
of emergency rule lasts beyond a few weeks. Another piece of
analysis in the
Post looks at how Musharraf started the year off with
high popularity with Pakistan, but the more actions he has taken to
solidify his grip on power, starting with clashing with a judge
over his refusal to give up his post as army chief, the more
unpopular he has become, forcing him to take yet more extreme
measures to tighten his grip on power.
topics:
Trade, Television, Islam, Law, Military, Pakistan
