An American diplomat was killed in a bombing outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi this morning. President Bush is scheduled to visit Pakistan and conference with President General Pervez Musharraf tomorrow, and will go despite the bombing, saying, “It’s important to talk with President Musharraf about continuing our fight against terrorists.”
He didn’t mention the January CIA missile attack in Bajur in northeastern Pakistan, which killed upwards of 18 civilians and two suspected Al Qaeda leaders. There was also no mention of how complicated our relationship with Pakistan is, especially with regards to their own “war on terror.”
If you want a guide to the press conferences and the official statements that will no doubt be issued tomorrow, take a listen to the Pakistan show we did in January and the blog feature with two different takes on life in Karachi.
Things I’d like to hear about:
(*) Bin Laden. Bin Laden has now taken on the public status of lobster orbiting Jupiter. You don’t seem them, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. Best just not to talk about ‘em at all.
(*) Abdul Qadeer Khan? The weapons program and information migration and technology transfers to other countries?
(*) Reforms within the ISI?
(*) Open Pakistani elections?
(*) Security help in Iraq? Come on, it’s a coalition, it’ll be fun.
(*) Trade talks, free trade agreements? We do embrace globalization, no?
You know, this could go on for a while. Best just to stop there.
Errata: You don’t *see* them, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. Best just not to talk about ‘em at all.
s’okay, ccm: I read it as “you don’t see ‘em” — which is probably what you’d originally intended, I’d guess…
That’s the best wise-crack we’ve had around here since a zinger or two from Peggy Sue last week, I think. Thanks!
“It’s important to talk with President Musharraf about continuing our fight against terrorists.�
We have a Potemkin President. It’s all words. All it ever is is words usually covering up the opposite of what is happening or going to happen. That is why I have started calling Bush our Potemkin President, a cardboard make-believe front for a President. Only more and more people are seeing behind it.
I don’t want to HEAR about anything.
How’s that for fed up?
Yes CCM it would be nice to give Pakistani’s a break with some free trade agreements. I think they would really like to export some textiles to us for instance. Your other points are good too.
Despite the distaste I always feel when recommending a panel of pundits that include an equivocating blowhard propagandist employed by the patently insane and egomaniacal religio-fascist Sun Myung Moon, this weekend’s ‘Left, Right, & Center’ started its 27-minute duration with a great little segment on the Pakistan-India-Iran nuclear triangle.
http://www.kcrw.com/show/lr
Just checking in for second shift duty…
“Despite the distaste I always feel when recommending a panel of pundits that include an equivocating blowhard propagandist employed by the patently insane and egomaniacal religio-fascist Sun Myung Moon,”
Nikos, you’re being cryptic, vague, & ambiguous here. I can’t quite tell how you feel about Reverend Moon and his “flock” of opine peddlers. I’ll make the leap and guess you’re not much of a fan. :^) Who said a Messiah shouldn’t own media outlets?
I listened to the show and it was worth the time. Surprising for me, Huffington and Blankley had their froth mode ratched down to tolerable levels. Blankley sounded like a big ol’ teddy bear talking about his lama; who knew? O’Donnell must have spiked the Pu-Erh Tea with a Zoloft Psilocybin cocktail. Pretty mellow discussion. Thanks for the link.
I tautologically embrace the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthiness
A fellow on NewsHour tonight, HUSAIN HAQQANI, tonight said, and I quote,
“Let me just put things in context: $66 million have been allocated by the U.S. for educational reform; $1 billion have been given to General — or are being given to General Musharraf for acquiring F-16 aircraft from the United States. That deal is going to go through eventually, from what one hears.
So the point is that just shows the imbalance in the relationship. The relationship basically favors General Musharraf, the Pakistani military, and Pakistan’s elite. Every year, 3 percent more Pakistanis are falling below the poverty line; already 33 percent of Pakistanis live below the poverty line.”
He might be an interesting guest to have on.
He gets right to the point. What is in the interest of the present US administration and its supporters is not in the interest of most of the peoples of the world. Long-term social security is built from the ground up by developing social institutions that improve the betterment of the many.
By the way, is Bush going to Karachi? If not, maybe the title of the show should be changed as it is misleading.
CCM: the prime virtue of Left, Right, and Center is that even though it’s a typical ‘right-of-center’ public radio product, it’s civil — unlike the sordid crap on cable TV. (Sordid crap that’s so skewed to the right I’ve begun to think that the token lefties ought to just demur and stay home. At least that way none of those rightwing networks – MSNBC and CNN included – can trumpet their disingenuous claims to fairness and balance!)
One of the dangers of being TOO connected is not being able to remember where or when — but a recent podcast with HUSAIN HAQQANI prompted me to buy his book ‘Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military’ (in paperback). It’s very interesting, and well worth reading. (Those more curious about Haqqani’s book might consider checking the reviews on amazon.com …)
btw, gang: this ROS-website catagory ‘Outsourced’ isn’t typically (if ever) a show idea like those in the ‘Warming Up’ or ‘On Deck’ sections.
I wonder though, should we continue to suggest guests, if the ROS staff won’t find a way to turn it into an on-air show this coming week when they’re facing a date without a firm topic!
(let’s keep it up and see what happens)
I’m new to this blog, slightly less so to your site, so apologies for any errors of address. Not sure whether posts are to a general blog or subject-specific. Concerning Pakistan, Tariq Ali is your man, or should be. Concerning Dubai, another New Leftie, Mike Davis, wrote an entertaining essay on the place last year. Many thanks for all of your good work.
sidewalker, thank you for the quote. I heard this over a webcast friday afternoon. As usual, you flawlessly are right at the heart of the matter.
Hi guys-
sidewalker: yeah, you’re right…Bush was just in Islamabad, so I can see how the title I used for the post (while nice and alliterative) might be misread.
Also. Our little “Outsourced” catagory is meant to signify a web feature as opposed to a thread that would necessarily lead to a show. You should absolutely keep suggesting guests, Nikos, (and everyone else) cause we will always file them away in our rolodex if nothing else. More often than not specific guest suggestions do make their way onto the show.
Oh boy rerun shows, rerun ideas.
I’ll take a pass on this one.
It’s not a re-run, fiddlesticks. Just a reminder that we did a show pertinent to current news.