Pakistan's Musharraf: US Ally Goes Too Far

But that is not the problem, the real problem for the US with Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, suspending the constitutions and therefore civil liberties is that he could not avoid the negative publicity associated with it, and became more of a liability than an asset.

The first reaction from the state department was regret, but affirmation of the strong relationship and continuation of aid, then to demands of new elections, and this is only day two of Musharraf’s adventure.

The latest news speak of hundreds of arrests, and shutting down of all independent media, all of this seems to be playing on US news networks, much to the discomfort of the White House.

Now let's make it clear, I have a stake in what goes on in Pakistan because half of all Americans I meet think I'm actually Pakistilian.

Musharraf knows that some extent he actually could get away with some draconian measures, as far as the US reaction is concerned. He knows that the US has no other allies but him in the nuclear power that is deemed a “front line in the war on terror.” Benazir Bhutto, the recently returned exiled leader has even distanced her self from the US in her effort to position as the anti-Musharraf, in fact, the more democratic a choice the next leader is, the least likely he or she to be friendly to the US.

But the dictator may have overplayed his hand; unlike his more more savvy counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel, Musharraf snapped, he reacted in above-the-threshold steps that attracted media attention from all over the world, kind of like those dummies in Myanmar. And despite the little leverage it has over him, the US will soon find itself having to press Musharraf on his latest actions. But given the US's options such confrontation would be cosmetic at best, so for those of you about to be appalled, no worries, it's not the first time the US backs a dictator, at least this one is better than many.

It got to the point that a criminal like Bush could claim the moral high grounds, and demand that the president of another sovereign nation to hold election –ones that are sure to drive him out of office nonetheless-, and drop his military uniform, but it is the fault of the likes of Musharraf who chose to ally themselves with Bush against their own people.

Egypt’s dictator, for example, one of the US’s main allies, had had the country’s constitution suspended since his arrival to power nearly 27 years ago, his police forces assault and beat protesters on a regular basis, his jails are filled with activists and journalists without trials, or with show trials at best. But his moves are calculated; while they enrage the Egyptian people, they are below the threshold needed to become CNN’s sensational story of three days.

Saudi Arabia, similarly, continues to crack down on political descent and prevent its citizens, especially women, not to mention its non-citizen immigrants from basic rights, but continues to fly under the radar with its media savvy and resources, and by telling the US that those being oppressed are the people who view the US least favorably any way, in addition to the fact that the US is not exactly concerned, as long as the situation does not become a liability with all the media attention.

Israel, on the other hand, is the most savvy among America’s criminal allies, some how it’s managing to maintain an occupation of an entire people, enforce an apartheid-like regime, brutalize and entire population with heaviest, most advances weaponry in the world, while appearing as the victim at the same time.

Of course it helps that the media in the US is has enough people who selectively ignore news stories damning of Israel, but Israel itself knows how to make their job easy; proportionate responses and keeping it below the threshold are by no means Israel’s MO, but they know how to spin their stories, and more importantly, they know how to time their most aggressive actions. It’s military officers receive training in US mass media and news cycles, it’s population is so indoctrinated with the military’s narrative, that a news reporter can interview to random individuals in the street and they will give the same soundbites.

During the California wild fires of last month, Israel launched its most violent attack against Gaza in many months, and it seems to have planned, and gotten Washington’s OK for a major ground assault against the strip that “it does not occupy,” so wait until the next major event that dominates the news media for them to launch it, if no Hurricane or a major earthquake hit or a new sex tape is released of Paris Hilton sometime between now and the primaries time, that that is probably the zero hour.

Perhaps Musharraf should enlist in a PR course at the Israeli embassy.