Who Needs Enemies with Allies Like These?

You know things are going badly in your "War on Terror" when two of your biggest allies in the Islamic world are either turning on you or embroiled in internal chaos.

As we already know, Turkey is about to go to war with the Kurds inside Iraq which threatens to destabilize a region that is one of the only regions within Iraq to have been relatively safe and calm throughout the war in Iraq. The tension has caused U.S./Turkey relations to become strained which is a blow to the American occupation of Iraq because much of our equipment and supplies go through the former Ottoman Empire.

However, now a bigger problem has arisen in regards to our ally, Pakistan. Over the weekend the leader of the South Asian country, General Prevez Musharraf has declared a state of emergency, dissolved the Constitution, deployed soldiers into the streets, arrested thousands of people (including many lawyers) and sacked/fired the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Sound like a certain dictator that America recently over-threw?

Opponents said the Pakistani leader was trying to avoid an upcoming Supreme Court decision that could have ruled he was ineligible for another presidential term.

GOI: Ah, so in other words he is pulling a George W. Bush circa 2000.

So much for the success of the "Bush doctrine" of promoting Democracy around the world and especially throughout the Islamic world. How ironic that we are trying to establish democracy in Iraq and yet at the same time one of our biggest allies is run by a dictator who has now dissolved the constitution (twice) and paralyzed democracy in his country. We are over a barrel and Musharraf knows it. We need him more then he needs us because Pakistan plays an integral part in the al-Qaeda fight. As well as the fact that they have nuclear weapons. So, we are basically forced to look the other way.

Bush is talking right now about the situation in Iraq and said that Musharraf has had a strong record on fighting extremists. Hmm but since the general is acting like an extremist himself, doesn't that mean he should declare war on himself?

Perhaps we wouldn't be in this predicament if we hadn't invaded Iraq and kept our troops in Afghanistan going after al-Qaeda more forcefully and thus not having to rely on Pakistan so much.

Here is a list of rights curtailed in the state of emergency:

• Protection of life and liberty.

• The right to free movement.

• The right of detainees to be informed of their offense and given access to lawyers.

• Protection of property rights.

• The right to assemble in public.

• The right to free speech.

• Equal rights for all citizens before law and equal legal protection.

• Media coverage of suicide bombings and militant activity is curtailed by new rules. Broadcasters also face a three-year jail term if they "ridicule" members of the government or armed forces.

The only difference between Musharraf and Bush is that Musharraf is doing this overtly whereas Bush is doing his own whittling away of rights covertly. Watch this closely because this could very well be America in 2 years if we don't make a drastic change.

Bush isn't against dictators, just ones who don't do what he wants.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find out that Cheney is right now feverishly drawing up plans to invade Pakistan. They will be disappointed that they have to put their invasion plans of Iran on hold I'm sure.

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