"Musharrafia an Arschloch, but he's better than the Islamic fundamentalist alternative."
MusharrafIS an Islamic fundamentalist. Islamic fundamentalism was introduced by the last military dictator of Pakistan, Zia al Haq. Musharraf is just following his example.
The US was dumb enough to get involved in the Afghan war and needed Zia's help. The Reagan and Bush I administrations are largely responsible for the mess in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
EDITED AND ADDED LATER: Forgot that it was Peanut Carter who started the whole mess.
Benazir Bhutto was placeed under house arrest today:
"ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani police placed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto under house arrest Friday, uncoiling barbed wire in front of her Islamabad villa, and reportedly rounded up thousands of her supporters to block a mass protest against emergency rule."
"Muhammad Zia ul-Haq.
[Source: Associated Press]General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq seized power in Pakistan in a 1977 coup and declared himself president. The US stopped all economic and military aid to Pakistan as a result of the coup and Zia ruled cautiously in an attempt to win international approval. But immediately after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan (see
December 8, 1979), the US allies with Zia and resumes aid. This allows Zia to use Islam to consolidate his power without worrying about the international reaction. He passes pro-Islamic legislation, introduces Islamic banking systems, and creates Islamic courts. Most importantly, he creates a new religious tax which is used to create tens of thousands of madrassas, or religious boarding schools. These schools will indoctrinate a large portion of future Islamic militants for decades to come. [
Gannon, 2005, pp. 138-142] Zia also promotes military officers on the basis of religious devotion. The Koran and other religious material becomes compulsory reading material in army training courses. "śRadical Islamist ideology began to permeate the military and the influence of the most extreme groups crept into the army,"ť journalist Kathy Gannon will write in her book
I is for Infidel."
IDIOT!!!
