By Isaac Kfir

This article examines Pakistan following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the recent parliamentary elections within the confines of the challenges that arise from the need to embrace democracy. The article accepts that Pakistan must contend with a powerful military, rising Islamism, tribalism, an unstable political system, quarreling leaders, and difficult foreign policy issues while it strives to continue to play its role in the global war on terror. The author concludes that only by uniting the different actors and seeking a stable Pakistan can the Islamist threat be defeated.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Reports are circulating that a U.S. Predator drone killed Abu Laith al-Libi, “one of the top al-Qaida operatives in Afghanistan,” in Pakistan’s wild-west Waziristan province. al-Libi is one of America’s 12 most-wanted terrorists — well, at least he was. According to the Canadian Press:

… The killing of such a major al-Qaida figure is likely to embarrass President Pervez Musharraf, who has repeatedly said he would not sanction U.S. military action against al-Qaida members believed to be regrouping in the lawless area near the Afghan border. …

Musharraf has been unwilling to clean up Pakistan’s wild-west for his own political reasons. But recently we’ve found out about his true colors, as he either explicitly ordered Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, or passively allowed it to happen (same difference). This man is not the “friend” many of us once thought him to be. It is time for the U.S. to clean up Pakistan’s tribal areas once and for good, with or without the help of Musharraf, for the sake of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and America herself.

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By Barry Rubin

Much will be said about Benazir Bhutto’s assassination; little will be understood about what it truly means. I’m not speaking here about Pakistan, of course, as important as is that country. But rather the lesson–as if we need any more–for that broad Middle East which begins in Pakistan and ends on the Atlantic Ocean coast.

This is a true story. Back in 1946, an American diplomat asked an Iranian editor why his newspaper angrily criticized the United States but never the Soviet Union. The Iranian said that it was obvious. “The Russians,” he said, “they kill people.”

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By Phyllis Chesler

I knew that trouble had found me yet again when an old Asia hand cautioned me to not “jump off the deep end” and jeopardize my otherwise valuable credibility. Apparently, my second blog about Bhutto’s assassination had begun to ring all kinds of bells and whistles amongst my colleagues, friends, and readers. She felt, understandably, that my bringing a feminist perspective about honor murders to bear on the Bhutto murder revealed a lack of sophistication about Pakistani politics. Point well taken—but read on.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Just where was the security for Benazir Bhutto? In Rawalpindi, the military headquarters of the Pakistan Armed Forces, two men walked right up to Bhutto unchallenged and murdered her in cold blood. It is all on film, and completely contradicts the pathetic story being peddled by President Musharraf and his “government.” Musharraf was supposedly in charge of providing security for Benazir, under “martial law” no less. Bhutto’s blood is on Musharraf’s hands — he was head of Pakistan’s Armed Forces until a few days ago. After watching the video, it is indisputable that the assassination could have been easily prevented. Bhutto was Musharraf’s only viable election opponent. In light of the Channel 4 video, I now believe Pakistan’s “President” either explicitly ordered Bhutto’s execution, or passively allowed it to happen — same difference.

There are myriad reasons to suspect Musharraf’s involvement:

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By Phyllis Chesler

In a sense, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a political and cultural version of an honor killing. Bhutto was the first woman Prime Minister of a Muslim nation and she symbolized an unacceptably Western form of female ambition and achievement. She had attended Harvard/Radcliffe and Oxford. She spoke English—perhaps more fluently than she spoke her native Sindi or Urdu. She once dressed as Western women do. Indeed, many Muslim women from wealthy families, including educators and feminists, have done so for a long time. They cannot do so now.

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By Kamal Nawash

While there is no conclusive answer to who killed former Pakistani Prime Minister Bhutto. So far the only claim of responsibility has come from an Al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan, who posted the assertion on an Italian web site. Al Qaeda posted the following message: “We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat the mujahideen (holy warriors).”

Bhutto was an outspoken critic of Al Qaeda and other extremist Islamist groups. Consequently, Al Qaeda and other Islamist groups hated her for her rhetoric, for supporting secularism and for being a woman.

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By Phyllis Chesler

Yesterday, I wrote about societies choosing to jail anti-Islamist dissidents and innocent Muslim civilians who are being threatened with honor murder or with other atrocities. I asked how big the jail would have to be and whether societies could actually afford to protect the innocent from the fanatically murderous. Clearly, we can not afford to sacrifice them to a political death-cult either.

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By Evagoras C. Leventis

The Waziristan Accord between Pakistan’s government and tribal leaders in that country’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has failed not only to curb violence in the immediate region but also to restrict cross-border militant activity–including resurgent Taliban and al-Qa’ida cadres–between Pakistan’s "tribal belt" and Afghanistan. The purpose of this article is to examine the Waziristan Accord and to indicate why agreements of this nature will continue to fail unless there is a substantial modification in Pakistan’s internal and regional policies.

On September 5, 2006, in the town of Miranshah, on the football field of the Government Degree College, Maulana Syed Nek Zaman, a member of the National Assembly for the North Waziristan Agency and a tribal council member, read out an agreement between the Pakistani government and tribal elders that has since been known as the Waziristan Accord. The agreement, witnessed by approximately 500 elders, parliamentarians, and government officials, was signed on behalf of the Pakistan government by Dr. Fakhr-i-Alam, a political agent of North Waziristan, tribal and militia leaders from the mainly Pashtun tribes and clans of the area, and seven militants representing the Taliban shura (advisory council). The signing was witnessed by Major-General Azhar Ali Shah, the commanding officer of the Pakistani army in the region. The venue was heavily guarded by armed tribal militia members and allegedly also by armed Taliban members.^[1]

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Another example of Islam’s “tolerance?” — where “merely the allegation is enough to bring dishonour on the family and therefore justifies the slaying.” From The Times of India:

A girl in Pakistan’s Punjab province became victim of ‘honour killing’ when she was axed to death by her father and close relatives for allegedly having an affair with a boy of her locality.

The girl was killed after her father, Farooq Khan Baloch, became suspicious that his daughter was having an affair with Amjad, a youngster in Jhang tehsil in Punjab province.

Seeing them together, Farooq along with relatives Sher Khan, Asghar Khan and Riaz Khan, axed the girl to death, while the boy managed to escape, the Dawn daily reported.

The police have registered a case, it said. ‘Honour killing’ is widespread among rural Muslim tribes in Pakistan where the victim is mostly female. The spilling of blood under the garb of honour is mostly at the behest of close family members with the aim of undoing the perceived loss of wider family status owing to the actions of the victim.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Buddha was The Prince of Peace (for good reason if you’ve read, for example, the Dhammapada). Islamists feel threatened by Buddha? Here we go again:

… In northwest Pakistan’s Swat valley, armed Islamist militants recently attacked one of the oldest and most important sculptures of Buddhist art. Dating from around the beginning of the Christian era, and carved into a 130-foot-high rock, the seated image of the Buddha was second in importance in South Asia only to the Bamiyan Buddhas.

This, moreover, was the second attack in less than a month. Murtaza Razvi has pointed out that the image that was attacked was not in a remote area. In fact, it was next to the central road that runs through the valley.

Despite repeated requests by Pakistani archeologists to the local authorities to protect the seated Buddha and other sites, especially after the first attack, no action was taken. In fact, militants were able to carry out their work — drilling holes in the rock, filling them with explosives, and detonating them — in broad daylight. …

I thought Pakistani President Musharraf was getting tough on extremism…

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

“President General Musharraf:” This is a name with far-reaching implications. Commander of the military and head of the country? Musharraf is currently “waiting” for Pakistan’s Supreme Court to rule on whether his “re-election” as president last month is valid — if he simultaneously retains control of the army. Checks and balances? Musharraf doesn’t seem to be “waiting” any longer:

Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf has declared emergency rule, state-run TV has said, amid reports that police have surrounded the Supreme Court.

Judges are believed to be inside the building in Islamabad, reports say.

Troops have been deployed inside state-run TV and radio stations, while independent channels have gone off air. …

…fears have been growing in the government that the Supreme Court ruling could go against Gen Musharraf. …

One election, one vote, and no more elections? I had at one time thought Musharraf was about the only political figure in Pakistan capable of guiding his country towards democracy and stability, but I’m not so sure anymore. Musharraf ’s “government is playing catch-up as it tries to put out fires (often started by the government).” Some say, “The hope for a stable Pakistan still rests with Musharraf, so long as he replaces his uniform with a suit and tie.” Today’s imposition of emergency rule means that Musharraf will be wearing that general’s uniform for the foreseeable future.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Benazir Bhutto almost gets incinerated, 136 of her supporters killed, scores wounded, and who does Pakistan’s government put on the case? The fox tending the chicken coop:

The detective leading the inquiry into Thursday’s suicide attack on Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been taken off the case, officials say.

Ms Bhutto’s supporters had complained that Manzur Mughal was present when her husband, Asif Zardari, was allegedly tortured by police eight years ago.

Sindh government officials say that Mr Mughal has now “disassociated himself” from the investigation. …

Uh, huh… Just like the BBC blamed Bhutto for antagonizing the poor terrorists…

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By Isaac Kfir*

This paper explores several key elements undermining the viability of the Pakistani state: Islamism, tribalism, ethno-nationalism, and quasi-secularism. The demands of each of these movements are difficult to reconcile with the needs of the others. At the same time, these movements exert pressure on a very weak government and state system. Hence, the author argues that unless the current regime undertakes substantial structural reforms, Pakistan may come apart at the seams, with dire consequences for regional and international stability.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

The Beeb is at it again: Radical Islam is not the cause of terrorist acts; it is the meddling West and its allies whom drive the desperate Islamists to inflict horrendous, terrorist crimes against humanity. G#d forbid that Benazir Bhutto publicly marshal her democratic supporters in Pakistan and “antagonize” the terrorists:

… Questions and accusations …

The BBC’s Damian Grammaticas in Karachi says Ms Bhutto is clearly attempting to portray herself as a brave fighter for democracy.

But he adds that there are bound to be questions about why, if she had been warned of a suicide bomb attack, she authorised such a slow public procession from the airport attended by hundreds of thousands of supporters. …

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