Are We Nuts? Didn't This Guy JUST Lose An Election?!?!?!?!?!?!

[kpete]

WTF - Didn't This Guy JUST Lose An Election?!?!?!?!?!?!

US officials say they HOPE Musharraf's concessions
will evolve into a greater role for US forces in the region over time.


US moves to expand its role in Pakistan
Intelligence centers, aid package planned

Globe Staff / February 25, 2008

WASHINGTON - US officials are quietly planning to expand their presence in and around the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan by creating special coordination centers on the Afghan side of the border where US, Afghan, and Pakistani officials can share intelligence about Al Qaeda and Taliban militants, according to State Department and Pentagon officials.

................

President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan has long refused to allow US soldiers to operate openly in the semiautonomous tribal areas where Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding. But in recent months, as unrest in Pakistan grew and he became increasingly unpopular, Musharraf began quietly allowing more American "eyes and ears" into the region, Pakistani officials said in interviews.

US officials say they hope Musharraf's concessions will evolve into a greater role for US forces in the region over time.

............

"We'll start with intelligence sharing," said the State Department official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the press. "If we could turn that into joint operations, all the better, but we have to walk before we can fly."

more at:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2008/02/25/us_moves_to_expand_its_role_in_pakistan/

[flor de jasmim]

1. It's the WORLD in BUSH WORLD...welcome

Let's not forget that this is the Prez of signing statements to undo congressional bills, the guy who decides to continue torture, wiretapping, etc. etc. He's exporting his brand of democracy...

[hobbit709]

2. Election?-He's a dictator, he don't pay attention to no elections.

[rosesaylavee]

3. The will of the people isn't respected over here

so why do we expect the * admin to respect the will of the people over there. It's not like elections count for anything anymore. That's so pre-911.

[acmavm]

4. I guess we've all gone batshit crazy because I could have sworn

he lost as well. In fact there was a story posted here about how one of his ISI minions described how they stole the last election (sound familiar?)./

Sheesh, another palace coup.

[EFerrari]

5. His party did. n/t

[enid602]

6. expansion

Also of concern is that our forces are being sucked into yet another country in this ever-expanding war.

[madrchsod]

7. he`s still the head of the real power -the military

[Ghost Dog]

10. Nope, he was forced to relinquish that position.

His 'party' lost big in the parliamentary elections the other day (as did "Islamist" parties). However, his term as President runs for another four or five years.

But, and this is a big but, Pakistan's Parliamentary system allows the Parliament, once convened, to organise a "Vote of No Confidence" - which says, in effect, "this Parliament has no confidence in the President and would like him to resign". Normally, in a Parliamentary system, in such circumstances a President (or Prime Minister) would resign. However, this is Pakistan and the President has US neocon support...

As to which way the "real power" (Secret Services and Military) might move next is anyone's guess, I understand.

[TheWraith]

8. I'm still trying to get past "a greater role for US forces"

I say we use our spies to steal all the nukes, then run like hell for the border and let the Pakistanis settle their own governance issues.

[Zorra]

9. No, kpete, we are not nuts. It is the fascists that are insane.

Because our way, no one gets hurt.

[Angry Mollusk]

11. Why would Bush let a silly thing like Democracy stand in the way of American political puppetry?

This is yet another reason why American boasts of America being the world's 'bastion of liberty and freedom' more often than not evokes eye rolls and laughter worldwide...In Bushworld, Democracy is good- ONLY if it serves US interests. How many Democratically elected leaders has the US overthrown in order to pursue it's own interests? Quite few. If the candidate the US government supported was voted out of office, how many times has the US wanted that person to remain in office? More than once. How many times has the US interfered with another country when we didn't like the person who the people elected? Most of South America...