Pakistan's government "abdicating" to the Taliban

[Xiahou]

According to Hillary Clinton, anyway.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday Pakistan's government had abdicated to the Taliban by agreeing to Islamic law in part of the country and that the nuclear-armed nation posed a "mortal threat" to world security.

So, what do you think? I'm guessing it'll be another military coup, leaving MusharrafII in power.....

[Tribesman]

So, what do you think? I'm guessing it'll be another military coup, leaving MusharrafII in power.....

I reckon another military coup with the loony fundamentalists getting power

[seireikhaan]

I kinda agree with Tribesy... To imply that there will be a "Mousharref II" implies that he would be pro-american. That, I think, is rather doubtful if its the Taliban doing the revolting.

EDIT: Wonder what they're thinking over in India about this...

[rory_20_uk]

The Taliban don't really need a coup, and probably don't want one (look at Hamas). Better to have a pro Western Government theoretically in charge whilst they slowly gain practical control over larger swathes of the country.

Western aid then floods in and can be syphoned / diverted and it's unlikely there'd be any international involvement - officially.

[Tribesman]

To imply that there will be a "Mousharref II" implies that he would be pro-american.

Slight problem there , for that to ring true it would imply that Musharaf was pro-american when really he was just pro-Musharraf .

[Xiahou]

I kinda agree with Tribesy... To imply that there will be a "Mousharref II" implies that he would be pro-american. That, I think, is rather doubtful if its the Taliban doing the revolting.

EDIT: Wonder what they're thinking over in India about this...

I wasn't thinking it'd be a pro-Taliban coup. I was suggesting that Pakistan's rather large military will overthrow the Pakistani government before it goes completely over off a cliff.

[Tribesman]

I wasn't thinking it'd be a pro-Taliban coup.

Perhaps you should consider it, after all the military has a history of backing fanatics and terrorists

[Incongruous]

I wasn't thinking it'd be a pro-Taliban coup. I was suggesting that Pakistan's rather large military will overthrow the Pakistani government before it goes completely over off a cliff.

Umm, don't they work with each other sometimes?

Hmm, another tick on the list of Bush lead disasters then, wonder what The Wonder Kid will do about it?

[Xiahou]

Here's another article on the situation in Pakistan... sounds like things are pretty bad.

The move by Taliban-backed militants into the Buner district of northwestern Pakistan, closer than ever to Pakistan's capital of Islamabad, have prompted concerns both within the country and abroad that the nuclear-armed nation of 165 million is on the verge of inexorable collapse.

On Wednesday a local Taliban militia crossed from the Swat Valley - where a February cease-fire allowed the implementation of strict Islamic, or Shari'a, law - into the neighboring Buner district, which is just a few hours drive from Islamabad (65 miles, separated by a mountain range, as the crow flies). (Read "At Pakistan's Red Mosque, a Return of Islamic Militancy".)

Residents streaming from Buner, home to nearly a million people, told local newspapers that armed militants are patrolling the streets. Pakistani television stations aired footage of Taliban soldiers looting government offices and capturing vehicles belonging to aid organizations and development projects. The police, say residents, are nowhere to be seen. The shrine of a local Muslim saint, venerated across the country, was closed. The Taliban, which adheres to a stricter version of Islam than is practiced in most of Pakistan, hold that worship at such shrines goes against the teachings of Islam.

Meanwhile courts throughout the Malakand division, of which Swat and Buner are a part, have closed in deference to the new agreement calling for the implementation Shari'a, law. "If the Taliban continue to move at this pace they will soon be knocking at the doors of Islamabad," Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of one of the country's Islamic political parties, warned in Parliament Wednesday. Rehman said the Margalla Hills, a small mountain range north of the capital that separates it from Buner, appears to be "the only hurdle in their march toward the federal capital,"

Well at least Rehman seems to understand how serious it is.

The only solution, he said, was for the entire nation to accept Shari'a law in order to deprive the Taliban of their principal cause.

Wait, say what??

[Tribesman]

Wait, say what??

he be deobandi they don't like it that part of Pakistani law is derived from British law .

Plus of course he is one hell of a crook and has big problems with the legal system and current judiciary .

So when you say about him understanding how serious it is , its only serious for him and his prty because he wants his particular wingnut views in power rather than the taliban wingnuts

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Here's another article on the situation in Pakistan... sounds like things are pretty bad.

Well at least Rehman seems to understand how serious it is.

Wait, say what??

That would be sharia law with the current powers-that-are in charge, using this as tool to undercut the taliban's "we're the truth" campaign by saying so are we. Won't work, the taliban will find the current ruling crowd to be nefas for some reason or other even if sharia is imposed.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Intervention and realpolitik win again!

[Big_John]

Wait, say what??

it's kind of like if your president takes away all your freedoms to protect you from the enemy that wants to take away all your freedoms.



if we get a musharaff part 2 in pakistan instead of the taliban, that would be fantastic.