Just as a flicker of hope emerged to bring back
elected civilian rule to Pakistan, the ideological
warriors of neoconservatism are up in arms to
douse it. Having supported Pervez Musharraf as
the stalwart general in America's "war on
terror," U.S. neoconservatives are panic-stricken
at the prospect of his political demise. No sooner
did he decide to relinquish his army post to become
a civilian president than fear of Pakistan's collapse
and of loose nuclear weapons gripped Musharraf's
backers in the United States. Neoconservative
analysts are hatching plans to raid the country
and nick the nukes before it sinks into chaos.
Others, less inclined to use the military option
just now, have come up with puerile analyses of
how a "Westernized core" of the military
and Pakistani civil society can be used to thwart
the worst-case scenario of Islamists taking over
the country and, with it, the dreaded weapons.
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Based in New York City, USA, Johnathan Schell
is a renowned anti-nuclear activist, prolific
journalist, lecturer and best-selling author.
He is a frequent contributor to The Nation, The
New Yorker, Harper's and Atlantic Monthly. He
is also the author of The Fate of the Earth, nominated
for the Pulitzer Prize.
Aijaz Ahmad: The U.S. needs Pakistan's military
and will support their rule, with or without Musharraf
Based in New Delhi, Aijaz Ahmad is The Real News
Network Senior News Analyst and Senior Editorial
Consultant and political commentator for the Indian
newsmagazine, Frontline. He has taught Political
Science and written widely on South Asia and the
Middle East.
Will Musharraf resign? November 15,
2007
With pressure building on Musharraf to step down,
the army general says he is considering all options.
The political crisis in Pakistan continues to
spin out of control. Dawn reports that "In
what is seen as a major shift from her earlier
stance, Pakistan People's Party chairperson Benazir
Bhutto has called upon General Pervez Musharraf
to step down as president, saying there is little
possibility now of her working with him even if
he hangs up his uniform." Musharraf refuses
to relinquish his grip on power, with The Guardian
reporting that "Pakistan President Pervez
Musharraf vowed on Wednesday not to quit until
the country's political turmoil was over, strongly
defending his decision to impose a state of emergency."
Pakistan arrests human rights leaders,
October 25, 2007
Asma Jahangir, arrested under Musharraf's Emergency
measures, was interviewed by The Real News two
weeks ago:
Pakistan: Lead up to martial law
A collection of interviews and news stories on
Pakistan produced by The Real News before Musharraf
issued a state of Emergency on November 3, 2007.
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