wait. we're attacking inside Pakistan?

someone needs to tell St BBQ so he can put a stop to this!

It's morning in Pakistan:

In blunt remarks afterwards, Sharif said he told Negroponte that Pakistan was no longer a one-man show. "Since 9/11, all decisions were taken by one man," he said. "Now we have a sovereign parliament and everything will be debated in the parliament."

Maybe we'll hear something similar from Congress soon.

Like Mexico, we are dealing with a nation whose main industry is supplying uneducated Islamic workers to America to pay for Kevin's and George's constantly overblown government programs.

Don't you hate it when you start Democracy on the march, and it actually goes places?

Why the outrage Kevin? Wasn't it Obama who said that he would bomb in Pakistan to get rid of Al Qaeda regardless of what the locals thought?

Matt,
Like Mexico, we are dealing with a nation whose main industry is supplying uneducated Islamic workers

Which nation is Mexico dealing with?
Or do you mean Mexico is supplying uneducated Islamic workers?
Talk sense, man!

Thersites the blackguard - you are wasting your time with Matt. His prior posts demonstrate that he obviously has a lot of jelly around the belly.

I know, Weenie. But sometimes a man's got to relax with some barrel fishin'.

"In blunt remarks afterwards, Sharif said he told Negroponte that Pakistan was no longer a one-man show. "Since 9/11, all decisions were taken by one man," he said. "Now we have a sovereign parliament and everything will be debated in the parliament."
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It is interesting that he uses the phrase "sovereign parliament." Under a parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is usually given the task of handling day-to-day sovereignty issues. A sovereign parliament could create a problem similar to the "535 Secretaries of State" idea in the US.

Well, it was pointed out to me that St. John did not mean that we shouldn't strike at relevant targets in Pakistan, just that we shouldn't tell anyone beforehand.

So it's "roger, go at throttle up!"

What a terrific way to demonstrate exactly what we think of those pesky elections they just held, eh?

Ah Kevin, don't you know that elections are only valid if they support this administrtion's policy?

From the Guardian article:

"Yesterday the new prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, said he warned President George Bush in a phone conversation that he would prioritise talking as well as shooting in the battle against Islamist extremism. 'He said that a comprehensive approach is required in this regard, specially combining a political approach with development,' a statement said.

But Gilani also reassured Bush that Pakistan would 'continue to fight against terrorism', it said."
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Strangely enough, the article doesn't say anything about who in Parliament should be contacted before we do anything in Pakistan. According the the above, the new PM thinks he'll still have a job. Well, perhaps the Prime Minister hasn't yet received his orders from the "sovereign parliament."

Mat Yglesias had an interesting observation on this yesterday.

It's the very nature of the imperialist project that we have embarked upon which forces us to rely upon local leaders who do not have local popular support.

I think that's a good thing, as due to the reliance on such leaders, any imperialist project is ultimately bound to fail.

Pakistanis should prepare themselves for roaming death squads organized by the CIA. These death squads will not be attacking al-Qaeda. The US backed death squads will target Pakistanis not willing to accept American 'democratic' guidance and any religious leaders who happen to voice disagreement with their violence.

Asst. Sec. Negroponte will be disappointed to learn there are not very many Catholic nuns to rape and murder in Pakistan.

Well, first of all, I wouldn't hang too much on those two words "sovereign parliament" - there is no such thing as a totally accurate translation. Even if he was speaking in English, he was thinking in Urdu. But whatever. Spin away.

Second - look for a couple of dead AQ types to surface. If Negroponte is on the ground, someone is dead or dying. Wonder what was in the sack that changed hands? Euros or diamonds? It sure as fuck wasn't dollars in this global economy.

To all of those pesky democracacies, "So?"

(another way of saying F*** y**).

Yeah, it's terrible. Presumably relations will be much improved when President Omaba invades the place.

That's a great way of improving our relationship with the new leadership in Pakistan, isn't it? We know they want us to cut back on bombing their territory, so we go ahead and increase our bombing of their territory instead in order to get in a few last licks. What a terrific way to demonstrate exactly what we think of those pesky elections they just held, eh?

Uh, Kevin, did you ever hear of these people called "terrorists"? You know, there's a group of them called Al Qaeda who killed thousands of our civilians on Sept. 11, and now they're in Pakistan, and they're still terrorists!!

As far as I'm concerned, Pakistan's comlplaints don't matter unless we're suppressing their people, or accidentally killing their civilians on a reckless scale. Pakistan should be thrilled just to be on our good side. If they want to do something to make the world a better place, they should try to convince people to solve the problems in their lives without murdering people, instead of pontificating to us.

That's a great way of improving our relationship with the new leadership in Pakistan, isn't it?

In the words of VP Cheney:

"So?"

Swan: accidentally killing their civilians on a reckless scale.

Is that like the Richter scale? What number of civilians killed falls below the reckless scale?

Moron.

"I wouldn't hang too much on those two words "sovereign parliament."
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I don't think I would, either, Blue Girl. I don't have any spin to give it. I'm just curious as to how Mr. Sharif expected that to work.

No spin, but here is some speculation. Mr Sharif is a major leader in the religious parties Perhaps it shouldn't be unexpected that he isn't disposed to be friendly with the US. Will he be happy if the new central government in Pakistan ever decides to exercise sovereignty over Waziristan?

Any country in which a guy like John "Death Squad" Negroponte can have a long and distinguished career in government has lost its way. Evidently people in other countries have noticed.

Well, trashhauler, I can see it. Pakistan is no-holds-barred right now, and when they fight to the death in that part of the world they mean it. The last time I let my imagination off the leash where they are concerned, I ended up under my granddaughters bed, sucking my thumb and clutching her blankie.

I think generally Kevin ought to stick to his strength, domestic politics, and stay away from foreign or military affairs. The "starchness" of a handshake and sitting positions are not the more sophisticated analyses. I also doubt that what is publicly said by either side it the most important part of the relationship.

As far as I'm concerned, Pakistan's comlplaints don't matter

Blah, blah, blah...shut the fuck up, you little pest. The grownups are talking. Don't you have homework or something?

B-but I thought Gigolo John said we shouldn't do this!

"Sen. John McCain of Arizona, close to clinching the GOP nomination, called Sen. Barack Obama 'naive' today and...blasted him for advocating a bombing of Al Qaeda hide-outs in Pakistan," the Los Angeles Times reports.

"The best idea is not to broadcast what you're going to do, that's naive," said McCain, who also questioned the very notion of "bombing Pakistan without their permission." ...

LA Times, Feb. 21, 2008

As far as I'm concerned, Pakistan's comlplaints don't matter

Blah, blah, blah...shut the fuck up, you little pest. The grownups are talking. Don't you have homework or something?

If they want to do something to make the world a better place...

They had their chance but let Negroponte get away.

"B-but I thought Gigolo John said we shouldn't do this!"
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Presumably, we still have permission for ops in Pakistan.

Swan,
Relax, Thersites just want to catch fish from a barrel today.

Sadly Bush's concentration on Iraq means we'll probably have to go into Pakistan one day for bin Laden or his successor and/or al-Queda as we did in Afghanistan. Long as the Israel lobby prevents any evenhanded policy towards the Musslemen, we'll face hostility.

I would guess that by the term "sovereign parliament" he is simply using sovereign in its proper sense i.e. the supreme source of power and authority in a nation.

In a parliamentary system, that authority is invested in parliament as a whole, not the prime minister or the government.

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