Pakistan Didn't Elect Bush!

For all the backwardness implied with the name Pakistan, the people are not so backwards that they would elect an ex-alcoholic from Texas once, more or less, twice. Unfortunately, the recent elections in Pakistan didn't magically quell the terrorist threat on the outskirts of the country. Insofar as this is not the case, President Bush will continue to make decisions that radically affect the Pakistani people until terrorism is gone or his term has ended. Almost assuredly, it will be the latter.

Terrorist organizations/tribes are still residing in Pakistan and they will need to be dealt with either diplomatically or by force. With regards to this matter, Fareed Zakaria points out that even though the Bush administration has continually pushed democracy promotion in the middle east; now that it has finally happen they would rather work with the dictator in pursuing a policy to deal with terrorists in Pakistan. Bush aides indicated that they would continue to work with president Mursharraf as opposed to the new parliament even though he's the anti-democratic spokesperson for the country and no longer has control of parliament (at least not directly or transparently speaking).

Obviously, this is a characterization of this administration's foreign policy: pulling the puppet strings from DC. The Bush administration would rather deal with an easily controlled Mursharraf. Undoubtedly he is easier to control than a new and unknown multifarious parliament. The downfall to this, which is aptly pointed out by Zakaria, is that no one is fooled by the puppet ruler and any decisions that are made as a result of Mursharraf's backing will be viewed as the US' war and not Pakistan's. The result will be a poorly run and poorly supported war which might lead to an increase rather than a decrease in terrorism altogether. On the contrary, if parliament calls the shots then the legitimacy of the war there will be maintained. Parliament's leaders are quick to explain that their plan for dealing with the terrorists is the same as Mursharraf's anyways except they will be able to succeed where he as failed. They want to open up lanes of diplomacy with the outlying terrorist tribes and whereas Mursharraf couldn't do it cause he was afraid of assassination, parliament's sheer numbers solves this problem. I'm not suggesting diplomacy will necessarily work. Often times these extremist groups are immune to peace talks. However, if there is a need to go to war in Pakistan - then parliament should be the one who makes that call.

The US has gotten sloppy with its behind-the-scene-CIA-cover-up strategy. For whatever reason, Bush and his people feel that open or vaguely veiled coercion of other countries is acceptable. Although I would feign promote this in any way, the fact of the matter remains that if a country thinks it's running the show then it will be motivated to carry out its objectives, even if their orders are really coming from another country. In short - perception is reality. However, since Bush is as sly and tactful as an elephant with a marching band behind it, we'll need to take the training wheels off Pakistan and give them a chance to ride on their own now. We can give them a push to get them started, which might include soft power help in maintaining Pakistan's independent judiciary, but that doesn't entitle us to man the handle bars and direct their policy on terrorism. We'd do well for ourselves not to try to anyways. Terrorism in Pakistan is as much a problem for us as it is for them. Our goal should not be to solve it our way and our way only, but rather to solve it. If there is in fact a solution to terrorism then entrusting Pakistan's parliament with the task of finding it will be the best way to reach it.