Pakistan: Princess Ferragamo at the Barricades(It's about Regime Change)

[dantyrant]

2nd post, per gateley's suggestion. Another alternative analysis of what's happening in Pakistan, from the always insightful Mike Whitney.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why the crooked Princess Ferragamo--Benazir Bhutto—has returned to Pakistan. Bhutto’s been traipsing all over Washington trying to garner support from think-tank heavies and establishment powerbrokers to help her stage a political come-back in Islamabad. She even hired a high-powered public relations firm to polish her image so the media wouldn’t focus too much attention on her past transgressions. Allegations of money laundering and corruption have haunted Bhutto ever since she was driven from office in 1996. Last month, General Musharraf cut a deal with Bhutto which freed her from the prospect of criminal prosecution and allowed her to return home. The arrangement ignored the judicial system entirely. The $1.5 billion that she and her husband allegedly “received in a variety of criminal enterprises” has simply disappeared down the memory hole.

Another tidbit the media seems to breezily disregard is Bhutto’s role in supporting Islamic extremism; the very dragon she is now expected to slay. According to Wikipedia: “It was during Bhutto’s rule that the Taliban took power in Kabul and gained prominence in Afghanistan. She viewed the Taliban as a group that could stabilize Afghanistan and enable trade across the Central Asia republics. Her government provided military and financial support for the Taliban, even sending a small unit of the Pakistani army into Afghanistan.”

But, then, anyone can make a mistake and Bhutto has since offered her sincere regrets and promised to rid Pakistan of the ‘scourge of terrorism’. This must be music to the ears of her new patrons in Washington.

It’s astonishing how quickly one can "see the light" when their career depends on changing their point-of-view.

/snip

Bhutto, addressing the CFR crowd:

“I rejected that ceasefire of September 2006 -- the peace treaty -- and we rejected the ceasefires before that. In fact, we were appalled that the tribal region of our country was handed over to foreigners, because Afghan Taliban, Afghans and al Qaeda are added to the Chechens and the Uzbeks. And this is Pakistani territory, and Pakistan has to protect its own territory.

So we've been absolutely appalled by that. And we think the first thing the government of Pakistan has to do is to take the territory back. We've ceded authority of our own territory, and it's not enough to satisfy the agenda of the Afghan Taliban or the Arab al Qaeda or the Central Asian Uzbek-Chechen. They're now knocking on the doors of our frontier province. “

So there it is---Bhutto’s Faustian bargain in black and white---‘Get rid of Musharraf and I’ll fight your bloody war.’ What could be clearer?

Bhutto also promised her audience that she would promote democracy, but not democracy that creates a “Hamas-type solution.” Oh no; that would be carrying democracy too far. Besides, it is so upsetting to go through all the trouble of conducting “free elections” when, right after, the errant voters have to be starved and randomly bombarded for choosing the wrong party. What Bhutto wants---and what the membership of the CFR wants---is managed elections that produce “real democracy”, the type that increases Washington’s power over its subjects.

Discuss! :)

[dantyrant]

1. Oops ... link here!

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