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Washington Stirs a Witch's Brew in Pakistan
By Eric Margolis
11/13/07 "Lew
Rockwell" -- - Plans by President George Bush and
Vice President Dick Cheney to attack Iran have been at least
temporarily derailed by the mounting crisis in Pakistan. Not
only is this important South Asia nation a key US ally in its
conflict with anti-western Muslim groups (aka "the war of
terror"), the US also planned to use three Pakistani air bases
it now controls to launch air attacks against Iran.
I’ve been in regular contact with former Pakistani Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto. She calls the situation "grim." On
Friday, she was temporarily put under house arrest, preventing
her from leading a mass demonstration in Islamabad. On Tuesday,
she plans to lead a mass protest march from Lahore, to which she
flew over the weekend, to Islamabad, mobilizing her party
faithful and challenging the Musharraf regime.
Another important Pakistani party, Jamiat Islami, is also
threatening mass demonstrations. Bhutto and other opposition
leaders are calling on Musharraf to resign as military chief and
run in fair, internationally supervised elections.
Bhutto tells me she may face another attempt to kill her. She
accuses allies of President-General Pervez Musharraf of trying
to assassinate her in the October 18th bombing in Karachi that
that killed or wounded hundreds.
Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party commands broad popular support,
particularly among the poor and illiterate. But her attempt to
unleash mass demonstrations has so far been thwarted by violent
police repression against her supporters and the arrest of her
political allies.
Musharraf’s imposition of martial law, arrest of Supreme Court
justices who were going to rule illegal his continued role as
commander-in-chief and president, arrest of other opposition
figures and muzzling the formerly feisty media have proven most
embarrassing to the Bush Administration which claims to be an
apostle of democracy. Bush, who claims to have invaded
Afghanistan and Iraq in order to bring them the light of
democracy, must continue supporting Pakistan’s military dictator
or see his war in Afghanistan collapse.
So, under heavy pressure from Washington, Musharraf agreed to
hold elections on 15 January and release some jailed opponents.
Washington hailed Musharraf. In reality, however, it was another
cynical ploy. Every election Musharraf has held since seizing
power in 1999 has been rigged. Does anyone really believe there
will be fair elections in Pakistan under martial law or with the
media gagged?
Musharraf, who commands less than 8% popular support, and is
widely hated as an American stooge, knows he would lose any
honest election. What he plans are the same kind of farcical
"democratic elections" held by the US-backed military
dictatorships of Egypt and Algeria.
My Pakistani sources report growing unrest in the 619,000-man
armed forces. Senior commanders, recently promoted by Musharraf
after pre-approval by Washington, still support him. But they
are increasingly dismayed by the threat of a clash with
civilians. Many senior officers fear their continued support of
Musharraf is turning the public against the armed forces and
injuring its good name.
Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, the newly named vice chief of staff, could
be Pakistan’s next strongman. If Musharraf is overthrown, killed
or driven from office, Washington has chosen Gen. Kiyani as its
Plan B, either with or without Benazir Bhutto. Kiyani has close
links to the US and received part of his military training
there.
If Musharraf does finally resign his command, Kiyani will
control the military. Musharraf will be left without a power
base – or perhaps even army protection.
Benazir Bhutto tells me pro-Taliban tribesmen and Uzbek allies
in Northwest Frontier Province on the Afghan border are rapidly
taking over cities and towns. Army troops ordered to attack them
have surrendered or refused to fire. The Swat Valley, which is
well inside Pakistan, fell to Islamists two weeks ago.
This could mark the beginning of a rebellion in the ranks. The
loyalty of the army’s senior officers has been rented by
billions of dollars of secret aid the CIA has funneled through
Musharraf. Those who could not be bought were ousted, including
Pakistan’s most capable military men.
Official post-9/11 US aid to Pakistan is $10.6 billion, but
"black" payments are many times higher. Some reports put them at
$1 billion monthly. These mammoth payoffs have not trickled down
to the mid and lower ranks. They have vanished into the pockets
of the military brass and senior officials. Pakistan’s armed
forces are still woefully deficient in modern arms.
Gen. Hamid Gul, former director general of Pakistan’s
intelligence service, ISI, and an old friend from the 1980’s
Afghan War, has also been arrested. He kept accusing Musharraf
of selling out Pakistan’s national interests in return for cash
and US support for his dictatorship – and of dishonoring the
military. Gen. Gul still has many friends in the army and ISI.
He shouted what many officers whisper.
In lauding Musharraf, President Bush made no mention of the
dictator’s disgraceful firing of Supreme Court justices who were
about to declare Mush’s ongoing rule violated the constitution.
Nor has Bush or the US Congress issued any demands that the
exiled former PM Nawaz Sharif, leader of Pakistan’s other major
political party, the Muslim League, be allowed to return to
contest elections.
So much for supporting democracy. In the name of fighting
extremism, Musharraf has jailed or intimidated nearly all of
Pakistan’s political moderates.
In Washington’s wrongheaded view, it’s either Mush or the
mullahs. Or if Musharraf falters, then it’s Bhutto or Gen.
Kiyani.
As of this writing, Bhutto still has not decided whether to
collaborate with Musharraf or try to force a bloody
confrontation with him, though she suggests talks are off. Many
of her friends and supporters are appalled she would make a
shady, backroom deal with the military dictator. Gen. Kiyani
remains an unknown.
Anyone who still wonders why so many people in the Muslim World
hate the west needs look no further than Pakistan, where, in the
name of "democracy" and "counter-terrorism" Washington and
London are stirring a witches' brew of dictatorship, intrigue
and violence.
Eric
Margolis [send
him mail], contributing foreign editor for Sun National
Media Canada, is the author of
War at the Top of the World. See
his website.
Copyright ©
2007 Eric Margolis
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