I guess no one really cares much about Musharraf.
"...Pakistan's venal politicians"
What is it about that word venal that it often fits so well with the word politician?
There is no "loyalty" among the "empires" stable horses.
"In Kayani they have a professional and loyal military leader, who they imagine will do their bidding."
Does the author mean the Taliban and AQ linked networks?
Kayani has long worked with both the Taliban and AQ linked networks. He use to be the head of the ISI (2nd most powerful job in Pakistan.)
What has Pakistan ever done for America (since helping Nixon go to China and helping the Afghan Mujahadeen.)
Musharraf was a devoted lackey of US imperialism. He failed to destroy the Taliban and Al-Qaida in the Northern tribal regions borderig with Afghanistan. Thus, he is being removed from power by his bosses in Washinton. Probably an even more servile "leader" in Pakistan will take his place, but for what? For even more war (an expansion of the conflict to all other regions in Pakistan), more blood and more pain.
Moy, Musharraf has not behaved like a friend of America. The sections of the 9/11 report blotted out deal with KSA and Pakistani connections to the 9/11 attacks.
3 weeks before 9/11, The head of the ISI (Musharraf's number 2, who installed him in power in 1999) sent Mohammed Atta (the chief hijacker and ring leader) a wire transfer of $100,000.
Musharraf was the top Pakistani army officer inside Pakistan for a while during the 1990s (and as such the most powerful man in Afghanistan.) He also served a tour as the top Pakistani army officer in Kashmir in the 1990s. Musharraf worked closely with vehemently anti-American (and anti-Shia, anti-Russian, anti-Iranian, anti-Indian, Takfiri type) AQ linked networks and the Taliban (which Musharraf helped create.)
Musharraf also didn’t target AQ networks and the Taliban nearly as much as he could have after 9/11. In June, there were 419 battles inside Afghanistan, versus only 39 inside Iraq. The Taliban are mostly Pakistani Pashtu, backed by large contingents of Afghan Pashtu, Panjabi Pashtu (euphemism for Pakistanis . . . many of whom are Kashmiri veterans.) Many active and retired senior Pakistani army officers have been caught inside Afghanistan leading the Taliban/AQ fighters.
The entire Taliban offensive inside Afghanistan has been supported by large parts of the ISI and Pakistani army.
Moy, you can argue that Musharraf is supporting AQ linked networks and the Taliban to utilize them against India rather than fight America. But the fact remains that Musharraf has not behaved like a friend of America.
Musharraf cares about his vision for Pakistan, the Pakistani army, and his own welfare (although remarkably for Pakistani leaders, he appears not to have taken personal financial bribes.) He was careful not to push America into destroying Pakistan. But that is not the same thing as caring about America. There is no evidence that he “cares about” America or is America’s “friend.”
Musharraf seems like China’s friend (Pakistan is a China proxy state.) But is he really? Or is he just doing what he has to assure continued Chinese support, which is necessary for the survival of the Pakistani state.
For that matter Moy, what has Pakistan done for America, ever? Three things as far as I can see:
1) Allowed U2 spy planes to take off from a Pakistani base until 1967, when Pakistan kicked America out for not helping it in its war against India in 1965.
2) Helped Nixon and Moa make peace with each other. This greatly advanced Pakistani interests, since China was and remains Pakistan’s main patron.
3) Helped drive the Soviets out of Afghanistan. However, the Pakistanis would have done this regardless of what America did for its own reasons. Pakistanis (and Salafists in general) hate communists and Soviets.
Where do you get the sense that Pakistan is America’s friend? Both KSA and Pakistan have used America for their own purposes, and frequently stabbed America in the back.
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