Where’s the Outrage?

Once again, Tom Brokaw leads with a negative question for Senator Barack Obama: Why haven’t you been to Afghanistan, if you really think that it is the central front on the war on terrorism, before now? (That’s not quite as bad as “Have you stopped beating your wife?”– but close.) Again, Obama does a very good job getting out of this negative frame. He explains that he hasn’t been down at the corner barbershop playing dominoes. He states what he has been doing.

I would urge Obama to step back from phrases like “We must win in Afghanistan.” This type of phrase echoes of discourse on Iraq. All sorts of questions arise. What does “winning” mean? Will defeating the Taliban lead to a formal surrender with Mullah Omar (who is still on the loose) handing over his sword or AK-47 to our General on the ground?

Instead, Obama needs to talk about our goals. Afghanistan needs to develop a viable economy which exports something other than heroin. Farmers must have a reason to plant something other than poppy. We need to help the Afghans build roads, schools, and a real economy. I have no idea how to deal with the local tribal leaders who are used to having an enormous amount of power over their own regions, but these leaders must be made to work within the framework of their constitution.

Obama shows a national audience that he has command of foreign policy. His plan isn’t wimpy. Instead, it is aggressive and thoughtful.

If Obama made a mistake during this discussion it might have been with the phrase, “We know where they are.” However, he did qualify it by saying that military commanders have told him that they are… I don’t know. We’ll see if Senator John McCain and his gang will make something out of this.

Tags: Afghanistan, Election 2008, Pakistan, Sunday Morning Shows by ecthompson
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I’m glad that someone is paying some attention to Afghanistan. We need to find the Taliban and kill or capture their leaders. We need to upgrade the country. Afghanistan is a country which lives without many of the things that you and I take for granted: clean water, roads, electricity, and a sewage system. We need to help them get these things and to create an economy that is NOT based on heroin.

All of these things are possible if we put some money and resources into Afghanistan. Oh, and we can destroy Al Qaeda while we are over there.

Tags: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Election 2008, Pakistan by ecthompson
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Brian Katulis from the Center for American Progress is my guest. We discuss his new book, Afghanistan, his recent trip to Pakistan and, of course, Iraq. We also begin our $75 give away. We figure that it is expensive out there with food and gas prices. We want to help, at least a little bit. We will give away $75 each week for the next 4 weeks. For most cars, $75 should get you a tank of gas and a soft drink. Enjoy!!

 

 The Errington Thompson Show 06-21-08 [48:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Domestic Spying, Iraq, Pakistan, Podcasts by ecthompson
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I have written a lot on Benizar Bhutto (here, here and here). She knew before she returned to Pakistan that there were going to attempts on her life. My question is where was the security? If she was unable to Pervez Musharref and the Pakistani government to protect her then she needed to get someone. What about Blackwater? I guarantee that Blackwater would have been able to protect her for a price. Roads would have been cleared. She would have never been allowed to stick her head out of sunroof. Guys with high powered rifles, machine guns and wrap-around sunglasses would have been everywhere. Bullet-proof and bomb resistant Black Chevy Suburbans would have been everywhere and she would have been safe. (Yes, they would have run over innocent Pakistanis and probably shot a few also, but she would be alive today.)

The CIA has issued a report that Bhutto was killed by Al Qaeda and allies of Pakistani tribal leader Baitullah Mehsud. Amazingly, this view is echoed by the Pakistani government. With knowing or understanding the internal politics of Pakistan, I know that the US government would like for me to think about how dangerous Al Qaeda is. This I know. To say that I have my doubts would be an understatement.

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From WaPo:

The CIA has concluded that members of al-Qaeda and allies of Pakistani tribal leader Baitullah Mehsud were responsible for last month’s assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and that they also stand behind a new wave of violence threatening that country’s stability, the agency’s director, Michael V. Hayden, said in an interview.

Offering the most definitive public assessment by a U.S. intelligence official, Hayden said Bhutto was killed by fighters allied with Mehsud, a tribal leader in northwestern Pakistan, with support from al-Qaeda’s terrorist network. That view mirrors the Pakistani government’s assertions. (more…)

Tags: Pakistan by ecthompson
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The Pakistani government has taken a page out of the US government playoff.  Keep throwing explanations at the public.  The public will get tired before you have to give up the real answer.

I detailed the problems with the “official photo” in an earlier post.  This video clear tells us that the doctors are being forced to be quiet.  There was no autopsy.  The physician’s notes don’t really make any sense.  One doctor spoke out, sort of, “The government took all the medical records right after Ms. Bhutto’s time of death was read out,” said a visibly shaken doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Sweating and putting his head in his hands, he said: “Look, we have been told by the government to stop talking. And a lot of us feel this is a disgrace.”  The medical report is here.  It is incomplete.

Today, in an interview with foreign reporters, Pervez Musharraf cleared the air.  He laid blame were it clearly belonged.  “…Ms. Bhutto had defied the government’s warnings when she decided to go ahead with the rally in Rawalpindi, where she was killed a week ago. He added that she had broken standard security rules by standing in the open top of her vehicle as the crowd swarmed around her and by not leaving the rally quickly.”[NYT]  Blaming the victim, always a great neocon strategy.

I don’t think that we will ever get the straight story on how Benazir Bhutto died.  In my opinion, using only freely available information, I can say that Bhutto was shot without a doubt.  She most likely died secondary to a gunshot wound.  I don’t think that we will ever get the straight scoop on this story with the government cleaning the area after the shooting.  I would guess that the CSI team would have a hard time getting the evidence after the Pakistani government has washed it away.  Today, we heard that Scotland Yard is going to help with the investigation.  We’ll see about the outcome.  I don’t see how Scotland Yard can do anything but reinforce the official party line.

 

 Bhutto's death, more questions [2:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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We have 3 separate scenarios of how Benazir Bhutto died.

1) She was shot in the neck.
2) An explosion cause shrapnel to hit her in the neck.
3) She hit her head so hard as she was ducking that she broke her skull in 2 places.

Eyewitness accounts seem to contradict the “official government” account. Late last night there seemed to be some stories about doing a formal autopsy.

As a surgeon, I can tell you that this photo doesn’t show squat. This could be a photo of an elbow or a knee cap. There is no way for me to tell if this is a photo of a skull. The photo is so blown up, I can’t identify any landmarks. Maybe I’m just not smart enough. If they “had” to blow up the photo this much then the fractures were probably minor and therefore, did not contribute significantly to her death. Where’s the CT scan? Where there no scanners available? What was the plan if something happened? What it to take her to a major hospital? Was there a helicopter available?

When President Bush goes anywhere, there are extensive plans. Local trauma centers are notified. Trauma surgeons are interviewed. The hospital is reviewed by the Secret Service. I understand that Bhutto was not President or Prime Minister but she should have had similar plans made by her staff. Where are they?

Update: It appears that Bhutto’s son and husband have been chosen to lead the party. From NYT: “Three days after the death of Benazir Bhutto, the Pakistan People’s Party on Sunday chose her 19-year-old son, Bilawal, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, as co-leaders of the party, the biggest and most potent in Pakistan.”

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Newhoggers has done a great job following this story:

[An] amateur picture is of a man aiming a handgun towards Benazir Bhutto’s vehicle. The Daily Telegraph spoke to Safdar Abbassi, her chief political adviser, who was sitting behind her.

“All of a sudden there was the sound of firing. I heard the sound of a bullet.”I saw her: she looked as though she ducked in when she heard the firing. We did not realise that she had been hit by a bullet.”

He had looked up to see Ms Bhutto sliding back through the aperture in the roof of the white Land Cruiser. Moments later, the car was rocked by a huge explosion.

There was no sound from the fallen leader. (more…)

 

 What Happened to Bhutto? [2:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Pakistan by ecthompson
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Okay, so you remember that British Al-Qaeda plot to blow up trans-Atlantic airlines?  The plot was revealed last summer (2006) if I’m not mistaken.  The mastermind of that plot was a guy named, Rashid Rauf.  He was arrested in Pakistan back in August.  This was a good thing.  Well, it seems that somehow, he has escaped from Pakistani intelligence.  One minute he is being transported from a court appearance, the next minute he is gone.  Nobody knows nothing.

Friends of Rauf believe the escape was staged and he was shot by security forces.  Unfortunately, nobody has found a body therefore, it is hard to prove this theory.

Tags: Al Qaeda, Pakistan by ecthompson
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I’m not sure that I have the answer to the question - Who killed Bhutto? First, she has as many enemies as friends in Pakistan. Secondly, Al Qaeda benefits from chaos but not from the increased attention that the US would put on the organization. Thirdly, Pervez Musharraf and his guys seem to benefit the most. President Musharraf is deeply unpopular for the resent crackdown on freedom, liberty and the people of Pakistan. If he can calm the unrest without Marshal Law and jailing thousands, then he could be seen as an effective leader. No matter how he plays his cards, Bhutto was really the only opposition that had a chance at winning in the January election.

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From WaPo:

Even before the official search got underway in Pakistan, U.S. intelligence agencies yesterday were drawing up their own list of possible suspects in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto — a list that includes al-Qaeda as well as elements of Pakistan’s own intelligence service.

In the initial hours after the slaying, intelligence officials had no firm indication of who was behind the attack and no independent means of verifying any early claims of responsibility. But it was quickly clear that numerous groups possessed both the means of carrying out the assassination and a deep antagonism toward Bhutto and the moderating influences she embodied, according to several current and former officials closely tracking the situation. (more…)

Tags: Al Qaeda, Pakistan by ecthompson
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When you operate on someone who has a life-threatening injury, it is usually pretty clear why the patient died. We have heard nothing from the hospital where she was treated. Instead, we have heard several different types of rumors. Benazir Bhutto was killed by an assassin’s bullet. She was killed by shrapnel. Now, the government has stated that she died by hitting her head and sustaining a skull fracture. Now, as a surgeon, I can say without any doubt that who ever took care of former Prime Minister Bhutto knows the real answer. This isn’t even hard.

The finger pointing continues.

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From WaPo:

The government, contradicting earlier reports that she had been killed by bullets or shrapnel, said Friday that Bhutto died from a fractured skull sustained when her head slammed into a sunroof lever on top of her armored SUV, apparently as a result of the blast from a suicide bomber’s explosives.

Pakistan’s interior minister, Hamid Nawaz, blamed the attack on the al-Qaeda terrorist network and Afghanistan’s Taliban movement — radical Islamic groups that have found support in Pakistan’s unruly tribal areas after being driven from power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2001. But Bhutto supporters assigned responsibility to the government of President Pervez Musharraf, charging that, at a minimum, it refused to take adequate steps to protect Bhutto following her return from exile in October, when she narrowly escaped an even deadlier assassination attempt. (more…)

 

 Video moments before Bhutto's death [5:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Al Qaeda, Pakistan by ecthompson
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Benzair Bhutto will leave a mixed legacy.  She is from a powerful and political family.  She has a lot of support from a fractured nation.  She was also driven out of power twice, reportedly for corruption.  There is no doubt that the Taliban and Al Qaeda formed and strengthen while Bhutto was in power.

Keith Olbermann discusses Bhutto and her legacy with Richard Wolfe, Dana Milbank and  Hillary Mann Leverett, former National Security Council Director for the Persian Gulf.

 

 Countdown - Bhutto [10:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Countdown, Pakistan by ecthompson
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It took me most of the day to get over the fact that Benizar Bhutto had been killed. Whenever something like this happens, there is a tendency to point fingers. Well, I’m not the first to begin pointing fingers today. As a matter of fact, I was pointing back in October. When Bhutto returned to Pakistan and was almost killed by a suicide bomber, pointed my finger at the Pakistani government for not providing better security. If Obama, Clinton and others can get Secret Service protection here in the US, why can’t the government of Pakistan provide protection for its leaders? The answer is they didn’t want to. Musharraf wasn’t interested in free and fair elections. He isn’t interested in the rule of law.

Now, I’m not an expert on Pakistani politics. Hell, I’m not an expert on American politics but it seems to me that President Musharraf is about power. His alliance with the US is about continuing his power. Marshal law that he imposed was about enforcing his power as he rounded up thousands and threw them into jail. I may be wrong but it seemed to me that Benizar Bhutto stood in the way of Musharraf continuing his reign.

President Bush read a short statement. (see the video below)

Who is ready to succeed Bhutto?

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From WaPo:

Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday at a campaign rally, two months after returning from exile to attempt a political comeback.

Bhutto, 54, was leaving the rally in her bulletproof vehicle when she asked that the rooftop hatch be opened so she could bid supporters farewell, aides who were with her said. She leaned her head through the hatch, and several gunshots rang out, an aide seated next to her said. Just as Bhutto sank into her seat, a large bomb detonated outside the vehicle. The left side of Bhutto’s face was badly bloodied, aides said, but it was not clear whether she’d been hit by bullets or shrapnel from the bombing. She lost consciousness, and never regained it. (more…)

 

 Bush condemns violence that killed Bhutto [1:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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With the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, here are some links to bloggers and other sources of information in Pakistan and some information abut that nation.

Here is a link to a homepage linking to a large number of Pakistani bloggers.

Here is the blog All Things Pakistan.

Here is the blog The Insider Brief.

Here is a link to the Pakistani newspaper Dawn.

Here is the link to the Pakistan People’s Party. This was Ms. Bhutto’s party.

Here is a link to a rundown of political parties in Pakistan.

Here is an obituary for Ms. Bhutto from the BBC.

Here is some American liberal opinion on the situation in Pakistan from The Nation magazine.

[Read more →]

Tags: Foreign Affairs, Pakistan by Texas Liberal
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This is awful news. I can not express how badly I feel for the Pakistani people and for Bhutto’s family. I’ll have more later.

Update:  It wasn’t clear what happened when I first posted this early this morning.  Now, it is clear that Benizar Bhutto was shot.  The assassin then blew himself up.

Video added.

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From WaPo:

Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday at a political rally, two months after she returned from eight years of exile to attempt a political comeback, officials said.

Bhutto was shot at close range as she was leaving the rally in this garrison city south of Islamabad, aides said. Immediately after the shooting, a suicide bomber detonated explosives near Bhutto’s car, killing at least 15 other people. (more…)

 

 Bhutto Killed [2:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Pakistan by ecthompson
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If you have pot and you want to make civil unrest what do you put into your pot? Start with a country that has a long history of ethnic tensions and add a dictatorial general, Pervez Musharraf then you need to add some spices - Benazir Bhutto plus Muslim extremists. Oh, and then for your special ingredient add a dash of Nawar Sharif.

BTW, what is the Bush administration doing to keep a lid on this pressure cooker?

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From MSNBC:

Exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned home to a hero’s welcome Sunday and called on President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to end emergency rule before elections, a fresh challenge to the U.S.-backed leader.

“These (emergency) conditions are not conducive to free and fair elections,” Sharif told reporters at the airport after arriving from Saudi Arabia. “I think the constitution of Pakistan should be restored, and there should be rule of law.”

Sharif, the head of one of the country’s main opposition parties, said he had not negotiated his return with Musharraf, who overthrew him in a 1999 coup, and expelled him when he first tried come back to Pakistan this year. (more…)

 

 Sharif returns [1:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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It appears that the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif looks like he going to return to Pakistan.  He was the PM who was replaced, booted or removed by Pevez Musharraf.  I may be wrong but Pakistan seems to be the perfect mix for a disaster.  Musharraf who has crushed his opposition now faces Benizar Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.  Both will challenge Musharraf.  Both will call him and his government illegal.  Somebody please tell me what the Bush administration is doing to calm tensions in this destabilizing nuclear country?

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From NYT:

Nawaz Sharif, a Pakistani opposition leader and former prime minister living in Saudi Arabia, flew to Riyadh from Jidda today to see the Saudi royal family in what appeared to be the final preparation for his departure for Pakistan.

Separately, Pakistan’s Supreme Court today dismissed a final legal complaint challenging the validity of the re-election last month of the president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, paving the way for him to be sworn in again as the nation’s leader.

Mr. Sharif, who has been living in exile, is one of the fiercest critics of General Musharraf, who removed him from power in a bloodless coup in October 1999. His return to Pakistan could present a strong political challenge to the party that backs the president and to the party of the opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.  (more…)

Tags: Bush Administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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I don’t understand why Musharraf let Benazir Bhutto into the country. So, Pervez Musharraf places her under home arrest.  Then he thinks that that was a mistake.  Then he decides well may be she should be under house arrest.   This isn’t going to end well.  I see violence.  I see bloodshed and increased instability in Middle East.

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From TPM:

Pakistani authorities placed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto under house arrest for the second time in four days to prevent her staging a grand procession on Tuesday to protest emergency rule, police said.

A seven-day detention order was issued by the government of Punjab province, where the former prime minister is staying at the house of a lawmaker from her party, Aftab Cheema, the chief of operations of Lahore city police, told The Associated Press.

“She has been detained and she won’t be allowed to come out,” Cheema said. (more…)

 

 Bhutto under house arrest, again [2:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Pakistan by ecthompson
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The violence in Pakistan is a huge problem. Pervez Musharraf is trying to keep a lid on things by clamping down. One of the many things that don’t make sense is the fact that Musharraf allowed Benazir Bhutto to return to Pakistan. Why? Unless he was behind the bombing, the assassination attempt. She is clearly a threat to his power. So, he puts her under house arrest for less than a day then lets her out. Was there too much blow back? Did he beleive that she would calmly sit in her house and not say or do anything? I don’t get it.

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From MSNBC:

Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto described Pakistan on Saturday as a pressure cooker about to explode, as President Pervez Musharraf’s government tightened screws on media by ordering out three British journalists.

Having invoked emergency powers a week ago, Gen. Musharraf has sacked most of the country’s judges, put senior ones under house arrest, and ordered police to round up most of the opposition leadership and anyone else deemed troublesome.

He has also placed curbs on media. Private news channels are off the air and transmissions by the BBC and CNN have been blocked, though newspapers are publishing freely. (more…)

 

 Bhutto under house arrest [3:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Pakistan by ecthompson
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Let’s see if you take a military ruler and then place him in region with a democratic reformer with a large following what do you get?  It was only a couple of weeks ago that the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan.  She has condemned the suspenion of the constitution.  This situation is ripe for some significant violence.

Of course, the US is deep in this crisis.  The Washington Post reported that Cheney’s office are practically running Pakistan’s foreign policy. 

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From CNN.com:

Bhutto said she agreed with his diagnosis, but not the cure.

“I believe it is dictatorship which has fueled extremism,” she said by telephone from her home.

“Dictatorship feeds off extremism and extremism feeds off dictatorship. Dictatorship needs the extremist threat to justify itself in power.”

“He chose to have a military solution and that is not good,” Bhutto said of Musharraf.  (more…)

Tags: Bush Administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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All of those democratic reforms are out the window.  Yes, there has been violence in Pakistan but the answer isn’t more state control.  Instead it is confronting Al Qaeda and other extremist organizations in Pakistan.  Musharraf had let this thing grow over the last couple of years and he chose to make packs and treatise with groups in the north.  That allowed the extremists to get a foot hole and grow.

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From WaPo:

“He’s pretty much carrying out a second coup,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, an analyst. “For all practical purposes, it is direct military rule. And he becomes the supreme ruler of Pakistan. There’s no constitutional limit on him because he’s set aside the constitution.”

Rizvi said that Musharraf’s stated reasons for declaring an emergency were misleading. “It has nothing to do with the insurgency,” he said. “It has to do with Musharraf’s political survival.”   (more…)

 

 Former PM speaks out [2:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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We can’t influence anyone any more.  There was a time in America’s distant past (before Bush II) that we could call up an ally and convince them the error of their ways.  We don’t have the clout to do that any more.  Furthermore, we must question such a close alliance with Pervez Musharraf.  This is a man who took power by force and has kept power by force yet, we continually say that we support liberty, freedom and democracy.  So, martial law has been declared by Musharraf.  All we can do is sit by and brood.

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From BBC:

Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf has defended his decision to declare emergency rule, saying he could not allow the country to commit suicide.

In a televised address he said Pakistan had reached a crisis brought about by militant violence and a judiciary which had paralysed the government.

The chief justice has been replaced and the Supreme Court surrounded by troops.

The moves came as the Supreme Court was due to rule on the legality of Gen Musharraf’s October election victory.

The court was to decide whether Gen Musharraf was eligible to run for re-election last month while remaining army chief.

The BBC’s Barbara Plett reports from Islamabad that fears had been growing in the government that the Supreme Court ruling could go against Gen Musharraf.  (more…)

 

 Masharraf declares Martial Law [0:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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