Look at this guy — he’s smiling, he’s from Trinidad, he plays the steel drums… He couldn’t possibly be bad could he?
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This morning the New York Times downplays the significance of the Jamaat al Muslimeen tie to the plotters who wanted to blow up fuel lines and tanks at JFK. They characterize it as being a stretch to tie the group to Al Qaeda, and denote the group as more criminal thugs than Islamists wanting the Caliphate. Continue reading
Nobody can deny there is some freedom of the press in Pakistan, in tonight’s Daily Times you see a scathing editorial by Benazir Bhutto that directly criticizes Musharraf which originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The editorial is well worth reading, but Benazir does diminish the extremist threat a bit — things are different in Pakistan than they were when she left ten years ago. The Muslim Brotherhood, AQ, and the Taliban have had ten years to educate a new generation of jihadis, and the problem is much more widespread than Bhutto paints, but probably less so than most westerners think. As usual, the truth lies somewhere between the two perceptions.
The Military Junta released Freedom advocate Su Su Nway, after holding her nearly a month. Su Su Nway led a prayer vigil for Suu Kyi, the lawful leader of Burma who’s been held prisoner one way or another for 11 of the past 17 years.
Su Su Nway was in the hospital with a heart condition, and it’s a strange pattern that prominent democracy advocates in Burma often end up needing medical care. It hearkens back to the days of the Soviet Politburo, when dissenters were sent to psychiatric units and other doctors while in prime health and mental condition.
President Musharraf of Pakistan has rescinded the law that allows PEMRA to close and confiscate broadcaster stations after meeting with media leaders. He extracted from them a promise to come up with a code of ethics for broadcasters in three days. This is good news, and it should calm things a bit. The Chief Justice Investigation, the suspended Christian Nurses, Jamia hafsa, unrest in Balochistan, and the Pakistan Taliban extreme shariat NWFP insurgency are still simmering in the background however.
In two past posts I’ve detailed the connections of the Clintons and Pelosi to immigrant and foreign national donors in disreputable business. One is under indictment for illegal campaign contributions, the other has a lot of questions coming his way from law enforcement agencies.
The mainstream press isn’t carrying this at all, but it’s starting to get some buzz.
Matt Dupee at Afgha.com has an excellent article on the dissolution of Hezb-i-Islami, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s terrorist group. Well worth the read in that it is more fuel to the theory that the Jihad is running out of gas.
Other examples of desperation besides the infighting of Hezb-i-Islami:
All Things Pakistan conducted a straw poll to measure people’s thoughts in the current political turmoil, and it turns out they are divided along lines similar to the US. About a third think there will be elections as normal, a third do not, and another third either can’t decide or think that there will be elections but not under Musharaaf.
Also, Pakistani Spectator has some interesting speculation about a planned emergency.
An IED was used by suspected PKK terrorists against a military vehicle in Siirt, Turkey today. The Turkish forces have established security zones to combat PKK incursions from Northern Iraq, but they might be missing something in this. Continue reading
The mad fourth-tier “leadership” of Al Qaeda is trying a new tactic since none but the mentally deficient will follow them now. They have declared holy war against India because Pakistanis have become wiser about their false jihads. The Pashtun know that if they go to war in Afghanistan that they will not only lose, but that they will be fighting fellow Muslims and helping destroy the future of an Islamic state.
The move to repatriate the 2 million refugees Afghani refugees who have lived in camps in Pakistan is nearing agreement by both countries. The refugee camps do need to be cleared as they are somewhat lawless, and a continual source of Taliban recruits in the Frontier Provinces of Pakistan.Â
