Musharraf

Yes, the security and intelligence services should leave politics to civilians. But for the foreseeable future, these same organizations will remain the only instruments available for fighting terrorists and manning the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. If we Americans want them to do a better job, Washington and Islamabad must enhance cooperation at every level and seek opportunities to integrate operations in ways that build trust. Rather than greater public criticism or sanctions, the United States should draw Pakistan%u2019s army and intelligence services into a warm but tight and coercive embrace.

The skeptics are right that the United States should use its diplomatic leverage to support Pakistan%u2019s constitutional mechanisms: electoral, judicial and institutional. Free and fair national elections monitored by international observers would produce a parliament with greater popular legitimacy, marking a significant step in Pakistan%u2019s democratic transition even if Musharraf retains the presidency. Transparent legal proceedings in the conduct of the government%u2019s case against the chief justice, without intimidation or harassment of justices, witnesses or media, would do more to advance the independence of the judiciary than any conceivable opposition protest. And a post-election timetable for power sharing between civilian leaders and the army could pave the way for a democratic transition more sustainable than any Pakistan has seen to date.

Depersonalizing America%u2019s relationship with Pakistan makes good sense, but only if Washington devotes more attention to building a broad-based bilateral relationship and stronger Pakistani institutions capable of outlasting any single leader, whether he sits in Islamabad or in Washington.

If the Pakistani army trusted us…it would make things better. But, they don’t.

and no…the nukes and **** are OUR problem. Bush didn’t get hit on 9/11. Our government didn’t get hit. Ordinary people get killed in these things.

let me clarify. I KNOW he’s an awful bastard. but he’s not invading other countries …like our Democratic leader. There’s a lot of death and destruction, rape, etc…under his watch. what do you think people think of OUR country though? When a foreigner reads about school shootings, murder, rape, the death penalty, the unrestricted pollution, etc. We sit on a high horse with a broken spine.

That’s Bush’s problem.

seriously…think it through. if he dies…who’s next over there?

of course he’s a dictator. they ahve nukes over there. If a dictator doesn’t control those crazy bastards, who’s gonna do it? bin Laden? get real folks.If there isn’t a strong man keeping certain types at bay there’d be a lot more death and destruction than there is now.

You can argue it’s Bush’s fault all you want. reality is reality. They DO wanna blow s%^t up. And if they had nukes it wouldn’t be just Bush who they’d target.