I'm catching up on the news from Pakistan.
Almost seems pointless now with our financial infrastructure crumbling around us, but I found a particularly divisive morsel from none other than the town drunk of punditropolis, Christopher Hitchens.
But first to catch up on the news from Pakistan.
Musharraf has stepped down.
Bush ordered some strikes.
Pakistan generals have now drawn a line in the sand.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's military has ordered its forces to open fire if U.S. troops launch another air or ground raid across the Afghan border, an army spokesman said Tuesday.
The orders, which come in response to a highly unusual Sept. 3 ground attack by U.S. commandos, are certain to heighten tensions between Washington and Pakistan, a key ally against terrorism. Although the ground attack was an exception, there have been repeated reports of U.S. drone aircraft striking militant targets, most recently on Sept. 12.
And now it looks like Christopher Hitchens has endorsed, if not Obama for president, Obama's approach to handling Pakistan.
http://www.slate.com/...
Sen. Barack Obama has, if anything, been the more militant of the two presidential candidates in stressing the danger here and the need to act without too much sentiment about our so-called Islamabad ally. He began using this rhetoric when it was much simpler to counterpose the "good" war in Afghanistan with the "bad" one in Iraq. Never mind that now; he is committed in advance to a serious projection of American power into the heartland of our deadliest enemy. And that, I think, is another reason why so many people are reluctant to employ truthful descriptions for the emerging Afghan-Pakistan confrontation: American liberals can't quite face the fact that if their man does win in November, and if he has meant a single serious word he's ever said, it means more war, and more bitter and protracted war at that—not less.
Don't pigeon-hole the candidate into a course of action he never suggested, Mr. Hitchens.
Even though Obama stands by his pledge to strike al-Qaeda targets inside Pakistan with or without the Pakistan leadership's blessing, here is Obama's statement on the Mussharraf resignation:
"President Musharraf has made the right decision to step down as President of Pakistan. It is in the interests of his country and the Pakistani people to end the political crisis that has immobilized the coalition government for too long. I have long said that the central terrorist threat to the United States lies in northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan, and not Iraq. US policy must focus on assuring that all elements of Pakistan’s government are resolute in shutting down the safe havens for al Qaeda and the Taliban. There can be no safehaven for terrorists who threaten the American people. A year ago, I advocated that the US move from a ‘Musharraf policy’ to a ‘Pakistan policy.’ I hope all of Pakistan’s friends will now seize the opportunity created by Musharraf’s exit to focus on the urgent issues of today: confronting the threat of extremist violence, dealing with food and energy shortages, and helping the Pakistani people build a stable, secure, democratic future, "
Sounds like Obama wants to stabilize Pakistan. Not destabilize it with the Neo-Con wet dream that Hitchens has been going berzerk for for the last 8 years.
Go figure.