I have read and heard this statement that the Pakistani government might fall to Islamic extremists any day. The latest comes from Jim Henley on Stand Down:
Pakistan. It’s got nukes. It’s got a shaky government and an intelligence service full of Al Qaeda/Taliban sympathizers. I think an invasion of Iraq makes Pakistan’s government that much more likely to fall and Pakistani nukes that much more likely to make it into Al Qaeda’s hands.
Now, that is slander. Pakistanis can be accused of a hundred vices but overthrowing their government because they don’t like it is not one of them. Guess how many times there has been a people’s revolution in Pakistan? None. How many times has a group of militants or intellectuals or any other civilian group overthrown a government? None. How many times has the army taken over the government? Four. Who in the army was incharge? The Army chief, not some clique of junior officers. So why should it start now?
There’s a lot of commenters on Pakistan in the USA who don’t really have a deep understanding of Pakistani politics. That’s fine — it’s not that importnant a country.
Jim’s a pretty good blogger, but his views of Pakistan are likely influenced by thoughts of junior officer coups in African countries (or B-Desh).
Whatever you might say about Pakistan, indiscipline in the army has never been a problem. And excepct for the Hanging of Bhutto, changes of government have been fairly smooth and non-violent, even when forced!
B-Desh …hmmm
No offence intended about Bangladesh. I was thinking of the coup against Mujibur Rahman, that resulted in the deaths of a fair number of people.
I understood
i like that
Iraq War Worries
Robert Wright has a good article in Slate about dubious and valid fears about the Iraq war and its consequences. Dubious fear No. 1: The war will be long and messy. Valid fear No. 1: The postwar occupation will be…