January 11, 2008
by Robert W. Barker
An ill wind blows across the subcontinent; it echoes down the Indus, bounces off the Himalayas and carries around the globe in an eerie conspiracy resonance as it brings death to a uniting figure. A nuclear armed nation teeters on the brink of chaos and world security threatened by inner Pakistani politics and Islamic tolerance of terrorist. Pakistan is a dichotomy of giant proportions as a US partner in the war on terror and a ticking time bomb of extremist beliefs she is set to blow.
Pakistan, a country born of fear as it was formed in reactionary trepidation after the partition of India left many Muslims feeling threatened by a Hindu majority. The Islamic flight from India to a traditional Muslim area formed a fresh Islamic populated country in the western subcontinent in 1947, we call it Pakistan.
The appellation "Pakistan" is an acronym, the P stands for the Punjab areas, A is for the Afghan regions, K is for the Kashmir, S is for Sindh, and the tan is for Baluchistan. In the Urdu and Persian based languages the name encapsulates the word for pure "pak" and land "tan" and as such it becomes "Pure land."
Attempts to establish a democratic republic were admirable in this ancient Indus Valley nation; however democracy has been tenuous at best. While Pakistan may not be all that pure, it is definitely strategic and dangerous.
Located between Iran on the West, its nuclear neighbor India in the east, the Hindu Kush in the North and in the South they have access to the Arabian Sea at the port of Karachi.
A political evolution of military coup's and personal power grabs left Pakistan in a democratic quandary and a constant state of flux. A rather impoverished and mixed tribal area of Islamic democratic values, they search for stability in a chaotic time.
Populist assassinations and political upheaval in a country with nuclear power is a frightening scenario for the entire globe. And we cannot forget the Taliban and Al Quada controlled western regions bordering Afghanistan and ostensibly the hold up of Osama Bin Laden. Combined, those factors alone make Pakistan a place of grave concern and deep dichotomies. We cannot, ignore its strife for democracy, it moderate secular population, nor the inherent dangers.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's death on December 27 2007 and its chaotic aftermath are the latest in the twisted and disorganized world held together by ex military man Pervez Musharraf.
President Musharraf gained power through military coup d'état on October 12 1999 outing Nawaz Sharif and later {2001} claiming himself President of Pakistan. The world held its collective breath as this unfolded; there is a more focused international concern when nukes are involved. In a land of political intrigue, nuke power and tolerance for Islamic extremist, Musharraf began to emerge as the International Community's one possible stabilizing force in a dangerous chaotic state. Military takeovers are by nature a temporary solution to social or political chaos, long term military control is a strain on the population's tolerance and by character a repressive system.
The West has been more then charitable to the Musharraf government, Billions from the USA alone. She was called an ally against terror, even though she essentially harbored the world's leading alleged terrorist The West strides a thin line in our acceptance of this military repression in Pakistan. Musharraf walks a daily tight rope between Western influences {including US funds} and Islamic extremist that plague his country. Many Nations have compromised their ethics to gain security at some point in history and this is an example of accepting the lesser of two perceived evils, and terrorist with nukes is the worst case scenario.
While Senator Joe Biden and others claim 75 % of Pakistanis are moderate seculars, and statistics back this up, there is still a huge contingent of extremist within Pakistan's borders. The empowerment of these moderate secular people is the cure for all Pakistani problems but the road to people power is full of impediments.
Democratic pressure to bring back electoral leadership began rapidly after Musharraf took control and Benazir Bhutto's name was at the top of the list of the people's choices. Exiled for political malfeasance and embezzlement of public funds Ms Bhutto lived in London and Abdu Dubai and waited for populist voices to reappear.
Benazir Bhutto was born into a powerful political family and she was succored at the tits of political intrigue and violence. Her father was also Prime Minister, Zulifqar Ali Bhutto suffered a similar providence, only his fate came as an execution not assassination, a state carried out execution for electoral fraud and supposedly ordering a political opponents murder, in 1979. Execution was a destiny that almost befell his daughter, but she escaped and took refuge in Europe, and her reputation increased in popularity during her long exile. While she was far from pure her popularity as a uniting figure and charismatic leader were to propel her back into the political arena of Pakistan, and Musharraf gave her amnesty to return. Ms Bhutto was more than a former Prime Minister, she was the first and only female elected to head a government in an Islamic state, as such she holds a dear place in the annals of feminism.
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Soon after her return to Pakistan an attempt was made on her life by a suicide bomber and over one hundred people lost their lives in this ill fated attempt. Yet two months later she appeared at a political rally, uncovered, her upper body protruding from a sun roof in obvious defiance of the killers that sought her demise. As if on cue she was shot as she gallantly waved to the crowd, following the shots the suicide bomber blew himself and others to pieces.
It was almost as if Ms Bhutto wanted martyrdom, subsequent to the first attempt she should have become far more cautious and security minded, yet she failed to guard her personal safety. One may suppose it was for the promotion of the image of a leader of the people, an accessible leader willing to be among her constituents. Admirable move this willingness to face her enemies and reach out to the people, but highly impractical and dangerous in the circumstances.
Reportedly she requested better security from the government but it was never granted, a failure of gigantic proportions in the wake of this political assassination and the aftermath of violence.
Now Mr. Asif Ali Zardari the husband and political heir apparent to Benazir Bhutto has raised the issue of responsibility and pointed an accusing finger at the Pakistani government. He further asked for the British and American governments to support an investigation by the UN into the killing of his spouse. "An investigation conducted by the government of Pakistan will have no credibility in my country or anywhere else," exclaimed Mr. Zardari to the press.
With Al Quada and Taliban resurgence we are watching a more dangerous and sinister Pakistan emerges as the real problematic international location as nukes could fall into extremist hands. Further Mr. Musharraf claims this was the work of extremist out of his control and he denies any government involvement in the assassination.
Either way this does not bode well for his control and leaves us wondering if the strongman is really strong or do the extremist really control the streets of Pakistan. Confusion and controversy have plagued the investigation adding to suspicions.
The government agents claimed the force suicide blast caused Bhutto's head to smack a metal handle on the sunroof of the SUV. The PPP people say she was killed by gun blast just previous to the bomb blast- this account is given credence by the video footage of the tragic event. However the lack of consistency in the death explanation leaves us in a confused state and the Pakistani population suspicious of its government
Following her assassination riots broke out nationwide and many people were killed and maimed in the fervor so far we have had no one attempt to take over the government but we know many radicals joined the Pakistani forces infiltrating an army with Nuclear capabilities could be disastrous for the globe. With this event and its chaotic aftermath we must be aware of the possibilities of rouge groups trying and even succeeding to obtain or control these WMD. A nuke in the hands of terrorist that hate Israel are one of the most riveting fear filled scenarios we can imagine.
The Pakistan government says there is absolutely no danger of loose nukes, in Pakistan. Pakistan has been sending serving officers of the Strategic Plans Division, which is the agency responsible for handling nuclear weapons, to the United States for training in safety measures, learning about locking devices, storing procedures, etc.
Yet there's no way of verifying if the methods are effective.
Extremists have already penetrated deep into the army and the intelligence agencies. We now see repetitive evidence of this: for instance, last month an unmarked bus transporting employees of the Inter Services Intelligence, Pakistan's secret intelligence agency, was collecting employees early in the morning. The Bus was boarded by a suicide bomber who blew himself up killing 25 people. It was no doubt an inside job. And now there are several other examples of similar distress, such as that of a Pakistani army soldier killing 16 Special Services Group commandos in a suicide attack at Ghazi Barotha.
A section of the establishment is clearly at war with another section and that does not bode well for the global safety. There are scientists, as well as military people, that were found to be radical Islamists. A myriad of questions come to mind such as: can there be conspiracy between diverse commanders, resulting in the hijacking of a nuclear weapon? Can outsider groups develop links with insiders, that lead to a nuke being stolen or used? With no known accurate records of fissile substance production, can we be positive that minute quantities of highly enriched uranium or even weapons grade plutonium have not already been acquired?
What are our options? Sending the CIA or other Special Services to take out the nuclear facilities may create a malem of atomic proportions that very will engulf the entire region. So what do we do?
Nothing can be a sure route to safety and we must rely on satellite photos or insider information, as we are all in the dark on this one. Here we have a real danger to the world left to fester and become a strategic problem far worse than Sadaam Husain ever created yet we ignore and support this dichotomy in the mid east. Truth is we have no choice and we can only hope some semblance of order and returned democratic ideas are embraced before it is too late. An open progressive nation with nukes is far more stable then this chaotic political quagmire created by poor leadership and failed political measures. We need to assist them in seeking open democracy and nuclear responsibility before it is too late to react in a responsible way.
Mr. Bush and his "give them funds without any safeguards or guarantees" foreign policy is tantamount to our own active participation in this dangerous scenario and should be curtailed by common sense and the next American leadership.
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Robert W. Barker [send him email] is a writer, professional photographer and travel aficionado from Eureka Ca. His work is carried on many web sites around the globe, a first novel recently copyrighted in the library of Congress, is soon to be published.
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