As Crisis Deepens, White House Endures Diminished Power to Influence Events

[babylonsister]

Another fine mess we've gotten ourselves involved in...


As Crisis Deepens, White House Endures Diminished Power to Influence Events

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 4, 2007; Page A01

In August, a 2 a.m. phone call from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice helped pull Gen. Pervez Musharraf from the brink of declaring a state of emergency in Pakistan. Two days ago, Rice made a similar plea. This time, the Pakistani president was not swayed.

Musharraf's decision to suspend his nation's constitution and declare emergency rule yesterday poses a sharp setback for U.S. efforts to push Pakistan toward democracy, and it calls into question President Bush's unstinting support for Musharraf despite the general's growing unpopularity and inability to counter hard-line militants, analysts said.

The United States now finds itself with few good options and dwindling power to influence events in the nuclear-armed state, particularly because experts believe Musharraf's actions may have ensured his demise as a national leader. The Bush administration has given Pakistan $10 billion in aid since 2001 -- much of it military assistance -- and U.S. officials had warned that Congress may balk at continuing aid if emergency powers were invoked. But some analysts cautioned that if the United States is perceived as withdrawing support for Musharraf, it may increase the risk of a civil war and the shattering of Pakistan.

Rice, who called Musharraf on Friday and warned him against taking this step, said yesterday that Musharraf's actions are "highly regrettable," telling reporters traveling with her that "the United States has made clear it does not support extra-constitutional measures, because those measures would take Pakistan away from the path of democracy and civilian rule."

U.S. officials appeared taken aback by Musharraf's move but quickly shifted yesterday from expressions of dismay to resignation, insisting that any "extra-constitutional measures" be brief. There was no suggestion of immediate cuts in aid, and Rice indicated that she had told Musharraf that, even if he imposed emergency rule, he nonetheless should move quickly to elections.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/03/AR2007110301282.html

[LakeSamish706]

1. I think we are going to see a major blood bath in this country... and the fall out...

is going to land at the Bush Administration's feet. Lets hope they managed to unseat Musharraf in all of this.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. Rice is a blundering idiot.

She pushed Palestine into voting in an election they did not want. When Hamas won a large majority, she and her hubby tried to cancel the result.

Pakistan has 165,000,000 people, 97% of them Muslim, 80% sunni. And 80% of them view us unfavorably or worse. Musharraf has been viewed as Rice's puppet, which made him an extremely hated man. This move is a disaster for the region, and for US policy, not that BUSH/RICE have every been clear about our goals, other than mouthing some platitudes about democracy.

[Supersedeas]

15. Sovietology and Bush groupism got her this far...

[0007]

3. Good heavens, I just don't get it! For pete sakes won't anyone

listen to the wickedest of all witches from the east? At least Fred is making sense on 'Meet the Press' LOL!!.....Thompston's poll numbers will raise after this interview with the potato head. The freepers will go nuts over this love-feast.

[babylonsister]

4. Cheney’s ‘close’ ally Musharraf declares martial law

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/11/03/cheneys-close-ally-musharraf-declares-martial-law/

Cheney’s ‘close’ ally Musharraf declares martial law.

Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf today declared “emergency rule,” resulting in the suspension of the nation’s constitution, dismissal of the Supreme Court’s chief justice, and severe restrictions on independent and international media. The New York Times reports:

The emergency act, which analysts and opposition leaders said was more a declaration of martial law, also boldly defied the Bush administration, which had repeatedly urged General Musharraf to avoid such a path and instead move toward democracy. Washington has generously backed the general, sending him more than $10 billion in aid since 2001, mostly for the military. Now the administration finds itself in the bind of having to publicly castigate the man it has described as one of its closest allies in fighting terrorism.

In June, the Washington Post reported that “Pakistan policy is essentially being run from Cheney’s office. The vice president…is close to Musharraf and refuses to brook any U.S. criticism of him.”

[snappyturtle]

5. K&R This is going to be very interesting. nt

[gratuitous]

7. If by "interesting" you mean . . .

A horrible debacle in which thousands will lose their lives then, yes, it will be "interesting." I'd use another word, myself.

[snappyturtle]

9. Obviously, I didn't make myself clear. I am not referring to the outcome but rather

to how * and Rice will dance around their "ally's" position.

[Beelzebud]

6. So thanks to Bush, we have a nuclear power, on the brink of collapse.

Thanks asshole. Can we impeach this fucker yet? Oh yeah I forgot. We don't have a real opposition party in America.

[Enrique]

11. well done!

I didn't expect anyone to try to spin this against the dems, but you pulled it off quite ridiculously! :toast:

[lonestarnot]

8. That democracy spread is working out so well, let's do some more.

[malaise]

10. Mushie knows Bushco want Benazir in power

They're all corrupt criminals -Bushco, Mushie and Benazir.

[annabanana]

12. All they can do now is prevent kids from getting health care,

make soldiers take endless tours in hell, stuff the government with hacks and traitors, and shovel money out of the treasury and into the pockets of their corporate cronys....

[eppur_se_muova]

13. If Bu**sh** doesn't support extraconstitutional measures, why does he use them?

In fact, why does he avoid using anything BUT extraconstitutional measures?

[DS1]

14. A nuclear regime!

Quick! We have to invade!