Friday, December 28, 2007

More Myopic Plans from Bush re Pakistan

My heart is heavy today.

Yes, the news is beyond depressing.

Michael Sheehan, Former US Ambassador for Counterterrorism, on NBC cautioned that the idea of postponing the moves toward democracy in order to fight Al-Queda was "wrongheaded. The army and the military need the support of Pakistanis people in order to be effective over the long term."

Meanwhile - I kid you not - CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reporting on the "War on Terror" noted that the Bush administration was cozying up to General Tariq Majid, Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman just in case Musharraf should fall.

Sounds like a really brilliant Plan C.

Meanwhile I came across a report by William Arkin, who writes a blog called Early Warning for The Washington Post, and who wrote on Wednesday at 6 am - 24 hours before the assassination - of plans to send US troops back into Pakistan. US Special Forces will vastly expand their presence as "part of an effort to train and support indigenous counter-insurgency forces and clandestine counterterrorism units, according to defense officials involved with the planning." He provides the details of how this planning occurred and concludes, "If Pakistan actually follows through, perhaps 2008 will be a better year."

Her death will make it harder to follow through.

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