Photo: Akhtar Soomro for The New York Times
Senators McCain and Clinton are now on the same team at least until the Texas and Ohio primaries. Obama will have to fight off attacks from the both of them. Last night on MSNBC Howard Fineman of Newsweek said the Clinton campaign thinks the loss in Wisconsin (which turned out to be anything but close) could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the attack politics.
Last night McCain held up his end of the bargain when he specifically attacked Obama on Pakistan saying:
Today, political change in Pakistan is occurring that might affect our relationship with a nuclear armed nation that is indispensable to our success in combating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and elsewhere. . .
Will the next President have the experience, the judgment experience informs, and the strength of purpose to respond to each of these developments in ways that strengthen our security and advance the global progress of our ideals? Or will we risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested invading our ally, Pakistan, and sitting down without pre-conditions or clear purpose with enemies who support terrorists and are intent on destabilizing the world by acquiring nuclear weapons?’
Today on his must read blog Informed Comment Juan Cole came to the aid of Senator Obama and offered his own critique on Senator McCain’s history in the region.
I personally think that Obama was unwise to make the statement he did, because there are some things better left unsaid. But aside from pure pacifists, what American would not pull the trigger on that old monster Usamah if he or she had the chance? I mind McCain pulling a Rove and making hay with a policy stance of his opponent that he actually agrees with.
And I think there is good reason to ask whether McCain helped create al-Qaeda and the mess in Pakistan to begin with. It is time for someone to start holding the Cold Warriors who deployed a militant Muslim covert army against their leftist enemies accountable for the blow-back they created.
Cole the takes an in-depth look at a quote that was made by McCain after jump
“Prior to Musharraf, Pakistan was a failed state,” McCain said. “They had corrupt governments and they would rotate back and forth and there was corruption, and Musharraf basically restored order. So you’re going to hear a lot of criticism about Musharraf that he hasn’t done everything we wanted him to do, but he did agree to step down as head of the military and he did get the elections.”
He Concludes:
Far from “bringing stability” as McCain suggested, Musharraf has destabilized Pakistan in the past year, arbitrarily sacking the chief justice of the supreme court, provoking massive demonstrations, brutally invading the Red Mosque, and provoking a violent backlash in the northwest. This is stability?
And is this really the kind of government McCain supports? Are these judgments the fruit of his experience? Is this the kind of holiday from history he is going to take? Having backed the radical Muslim extremists in Afghanistan in the 1980s, having winked at Zia’s dictatorship and nuclear program, having coddled Musharraf’s authoritarianism, is McCain going to bring us more disasters like September 11, done by his good friends, Reagan’s Freedom Fighters?
If so, by all means bring on the breath of fresh air instead.
It is too bad that for many Americans it is easier to believe that we were attacked on 9/11 beacuse “The terrorists hate freedom” then to listen to a wonkish explenation of how the policies of the United States and the West help to bring about a mind set that made those attacks a possibiltity.
TAGS: Al-Qaeda, attack, election, free, mccain, Mosque, Muslim, NATO, New York, New York Times, NSA, obama, Ohio, political, Politics, Supreme Court, Texas, war
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February 21st, 2008 at 5:19 am
I’m gonna go read Cole’s whole piece, but let me say Obama’s been off on Pakistan at least twice, in NH debate and when he said he’d violate sovereignty this summer and NY Post had that school boy graphic diss. Does Obama really have what it takes to deal with Mush-y, Kayani, Disco Zardari, Sharif and co? Maybe. Hillary’s been much more informed on Pakistan. Current US policy in FATA involves Predators and Hellfire pick offs, here and there scores really. It’s not a real policy—one of targeted assassination ala Israel in Gaza—and yet it’s Obama’s. Joe Biden has been excellent on Pakistan. Read his statements and then hope Obama picks him as Sec State…or cld he pick Samantha Power?
February 21st, 2008 at 5:27 am
Wow. McCain’s quote on Pakistan is as idiotic a statement as I’ve read in a long time. Musharraf the great stabilizer? I’m sure the Pakistani people agree…oh wait, they just tossed Musharraf’s party to the curb in the elections and essentially rejected his policies. Did McCain not see the election results? Does he really think he knows better than the people who live there?
February 21st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
So I finally read all of Cole’s piece. Wow. Cole’s damn good. Let’s not forget that John McCain, under medical definition, would be considered “insane.” The guy’s a loon. Read this piece from 2005, from the New Yorker, and tell me McCain’s not crazy as fuck:
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/05/30/050530fa_fact_bruck
Now, as for US policy in FATA. Unless it’s Osama himself, using Predators to pick off random Al Qaeda leaders is a DUMB policy. Cole makes it sound like Obama said he’d only do so if Osama was the target. Nyet. The quote was: “If we have actionable intelligence about high value targets and Musharraff won’t act, we will.”
Define high value target? Later, Obama again said in NH he would violate Pakisatn sovereignty.
This is stupid policy. All the suicide bombers killing 100s in Kandahar this week? They are pissed because we are shooting Hellfires at them in Pakistan, bombing them in AFghan etc.
It’s not worth it to go into Pakistan unless you can get Zarqawi or Osama. Obama needs to know this, say this. We’ll be fighting the Pashtuns until US policy changes. Sitting down with Iran while you’re Hellfiring FATA isn’t going to help us win the GWOT.