What About Pakistan?

[cali]

Pakistan is seeing an upswing in violence. In North Waziristan, along the Afghan border, over 250 people have been killed in recent weeks in fighting between Pakistani forces and Taliban and other fundamentalist forces. There have been several deadly bombings in the country recently. Thinking that Pakistan is stable or that Musharref can hold on to power is not such a safe bet. Many analysts believe that the unrest in Pakistan is increasing at a swift pace.

It doesn't get talked about a lot, but the destabilization of Pakistan is a frightening scenario. I don't generally support dictators, but a radical fundamentalist regime in Pakistan, is not something I want to see.

[Oversea Visitor]

1. Unless a very moderate anti US party comes up

Pakistan will go radical fundamentalist........ go thank GWB

[izzie]

4. Maybe Bush was right about the Crusades? They seem to be back

Guess I better get the old history books out and start reading. Fundamentalist vs. fundamentalists.

[Oversea Visitor]

6. Of course he is right

He created this new reality to make it right.

[izzie]

10. To bad to see this 'church' stuff rule. If you read around you -----

seem to see this. In the middle east, that the places that seem to be moving into the modern world, sort of puts the 'church' stuff in a lower place. It is almost as if it gets in the way of self rule. I have never made a study of it but I bet people have, that the less you let religion rule the better your country moves ahead. I just think that reason has it all over faith in things you can not really get a hold of. Then I do feel my history and this countries come from the enlightenment. I am sure that a move to a modern way and the passing of what was is really scary to may people. More trouble is they do not really recall what things were really like.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Well, there is Imran Khan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imran_Khan

who is opposed to Bush, but is quite moderate (certainly he's no isolationist). I'm not sure what the feeling about him really is in Pakistan - as a cricketer, they loved him, but as a politician he hasn't made too much headway yet - though it's been a tough climate in the past few years. He may still be trying to live down the previous 'international playboy' image, which may put off too many potential supporters.

[dogday]

2. If they nuke Iran, Pakistan is going to

have loads more to worry about, like the fall-out from a nuke....

[saltpoint]

3. My late cousin was a higher-up at a U.S. petroleum company.

He believed Pakistan is the site of a tense battle between Western oil interests and local tribal hostilities.

If that's so, the future is going to be uncertain at best for Pakistan and possibly very violent.

With that sort of potential landscape, I would greatly prefer that George W. Bush not be our president. The same landscape would not seem nearly as desperate under a President Gore or a President Kerry. Too many Bush-Cheney voters voted their local church agendas and forgot about the world stage.

[Deja Q]

5. Well, they'll blow up bits of India then, with India reciprocating.

And corporations will reconsider offshoring even more... it IS a threat to national security.

Anyone can trade fairly... but when you deal with unstable nations of the world, the dumbest thing anyone could do is to shift more and more of one's infrastructure over there! (which isn't trade of any sort...)

[savemefromdumbya]

7. AND THEY HAVE NUKES ALREADY

[porphyrian]

9. Hiding bin Laden and having nukes isn't important to bush. - n/t