In my last post I made some comments about the recent setbacks to the Bush Administration. Within a short period a lot has occurred including the election losses by the ruling congress party in India and recent assassination of former Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto, who was considered a favorite to win the upcoming national elections in that country.
I mentioned that US - India Nuclear deal is dead, I rushed to conclusions on this one. Looks like the election results in India and Bush administrations reinforcement of the deal might lead to deal being approved by the Indian polity. With the Lok Sabha elections looming, ruling party would like to have this on its resume. So we should watch and wait for the official word on this deal.
As for the situation in Pakistan, I was cent pertain right about America's ill advised trust in the Pakistani president parvez musharraf. He is and will do everything to stay in power. This does not mean that he carried the attack on Bhutto but he is certainly responsible and happy to see her go. People around the world including Indians and Pakistanis are expressing their shock on the incident, but for me it was a sad happening but certainly not shocking. I have not seen any intelligence report suggesting that the intelligence community was not expecting another attack on her, I wish she survived this attack, but what is done is done. Now she is a martyr to everybody. Instead this might turn out to be a historic moment for Pakistan and maybe Americans realize what a big blow it is to their interests in the region.
I think the incident marks as a testament to the unspoken favor to musharraf by al-qaida, people forget that there was an incident back in the mountains of Afghanistan when Americans came close to getting bin laden, it was widely reported that Pakistani army rescued several of the taliban, by air lifting them when they were surrounded by US forces, without any exit. We also need to look at the treaty between the north west tribals and the current Pakistani Govt. These seem to be favors by musharraf to extremists in Pakistan and Bhutto's assassination is a favor to musharraf by al-qaida, it does not change the fact that Bhutto represented the biggest threat to extremism in Pakistan. I can only hope this incident is the beginning of good things for Pakistan. We Indians cannot have an unstable neighbor.
Benazir Bhutto was a brave woman. The world needs more of them.
I mentioned that US - India Nuclear deal is dead, I rushed to conclusions on this one. Looks like the election results in India and Bush administrations reinforcement of the deal might lead to deal being approved by the Indian polity. With the Lok Sabha elections looming, ruling party would like to have this on its resume. So we should watch and wait for the official word on this deal.
As for the situation in Pakistan, I was cent pertain right about America's ill advised trust in the Pakistani president parvez musharraf. He is and will do everything to stay in power. This does not mean that he carried the attack on Bhutto but he is certainly responsible and happy to see her go. People around the world including Indians and Pakistanis are expressing their shock on the incident, but for me it was a sad happening but certainly not shocking. I have not seen any intelligence report suggesting that the intelligence community was not expecting another attack on her, I wish she survived this attack, but what is done is done. Now she is a martyr to everybody. Instead this might turn out to be a historic moment for Pakistan and maybe Americans realize what a big blow it is to their interests in the region.
I think the incident marks as a testament to the unspoken favor to musharraf by al-qaida, people forget that there was an incident back in the mountains of Afghanistan when Americans came close to getting bin laden, it was widely reported that Pakistani army rescued several of the taliban, by air lifting them when they were surrounded by US forces, without any exit. We also need to look at the treaty between the north west tribals and the current Pakistani Govt. These seem to be favors by musharraf to extremists in Pakistan and Bhutto's assassination is a favor to musharraf by al-qaida, it does not change the fact that Bhutto represented the biggest threat to extremism in Pakistan. I can only hope this incident is the beginning of good things for Pakistan. We Indians cannot have an unstable neighbor.
Benazir Bhutto was a brave woman. The world needs more of them.
