http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7511771.stm
'When soldiers here die fighting the pro-Taleban tribesmen in their border region, there is a debate about whether or not they are martyrs. Some religious scholars say that honour belongs to the Taleban, not to troops fighting their own people.
This time, according to those at the funerals, there was no such ambivalence.
These soldiers were killed by Americans... non-Muslims, said the Imams, bent on harming Islamic countries. "May God destroy the alien forces," they prayed.'
I am not sure how much Barbara Plett knows about Pakistans history, but its interesting to me that she only sees Pakistans relationship with the US in isolation. Pakistan has fought six wars since its independence in 1947, with India and Bangladesh. It clearly has designs on Afghanistan, and believes that it can have a sort of empire if it gets to dominate that country. It seems obvious in the context of the continuing fight for control of Kashmir and the fight to retain Bangladesh in the face of a very strong desire of the Bengalis to have independence, that the bald-faced support for the repeated Taleban invasions of Afghanistan is about national greatness and the desire for territory and control.
And like a petulant teenager who can't get his way, the Pakistani response to their loss of Bangladesh was to cut off all relations with that country; the response to Indias understandable desire to hold on to Kashmir (which was always part of British India) was to underwrite and host an ongoing terrorist campaign against India; and to underwrite and host a series of invading armies into Afghanistan to fight against the very people it pretends to be allied with.
'During my time here, there has always been antipathy to American foreign policy, as in other Muslim countries where the "war on terror" is seen as little more than a war against Islam.'
Ms Plett doesn't bother to try to rebut this ludicrous misconception- indeed, it seems that most BBC employees agree with this conception in most respects.
'A few weeks later she [the US Ambassador to Pakistan] was snubbed by a member of that prosperous middle class while handing out awards for academic excellence. A Pakistani university student brushed past her, strode to the podium and made a 20-second protest speech.
The young man, who is studying at Harvard, became a celebrity. He was praised by the media and inundated with thousands of messages of support.
His moment of defiance was endlessly replayed on YouTube.'
I have railed at the lack of seriousness among British politicians in the past, and their essential trivialness- but this goes way way beyond that. To me, it is almost the definition of stupidity to act repeatedly and robustly against your own interests. But then right across the muslim world, that seems to be deeply ingrained habit.
'America's key relationship in Pakistan has been with the army, especially since 9/11.
Put simply, the US pays the Pakistani army billions of dollars to fight the "war on terror".
US legislators refer to this relationship as transactional but many Pakistanis say it is mercenary.'
And why is the US's key relationship in Pakistan with the army? Ask any Pakistani. Its because its the only institution remaining from British India days that retains its cohesion and utility. The political and legal systems fell into deep disrepute virtually as soon as the British left and have remained riddled with corruption, nepotism, tribalism and venality. So who would YOU deal with?
'...cynicism turned to anger when Mr Bush continued to back his friend, despite a popular movement against Mr Musharraf for illegally purging the judiciary and despite the defeat of the president's supporters in February's general elections.'
Over and over again, I can't help noticing how inconvenient truths are elided from reporting places like Pakistan. 'The judiciary' in Pakistan is not like 'The judiciary' in America or Britain or Sweden. People become lawyers in Pakistan to get rich and to go bat for their familial and tribal interests. Justice and the rule of law are not in the mix. I have seen at least five or six reports on the BBC about 'protests' by lawyers in Islamabad, which managed to get through the whole piece without mentioning that the Pakistani legal system is about wealth, prestige and power and not about the law. And when anybody interferes with the inalieanable rights of lawyers to get rich, they head for the streets!
This piece by Ms Plett straddles two issues; the first being Pakistans relations with the US in a geopolitical sense; and secondly, the opinions of Pakistanis about the United States and its role in the world. On both counts, large chunks of the most important and relevant facts are missing. More than half of all schools in Pakistan teach ONLY the Koran. No math, no science, no civics, no geography, no foreign languages except Arabic, no technology subjects, just the Koran. And you want sensible opinions from these people about international relations? Or even how a tap works?
'Pakistan does face a serious threat from Islamist militancy. But as long as it is the army that is leading the way, with little apparent support from the people, many Pakistanis will continue to see this as America's war.
That is why the army itself is advocating a debate in parliament, so the country can evolve its own policy.'
Many Europeans despise George W Bush for his 'you are either with us or you are against us' attitude, but the trouble with wars is they are almost by definition manichean. When I read wiffle about 'evolving their own policy', which sounds wonderfully '3rd way' and nuanced, what it really means is 'we are not with you'. And in this case, that means they are against us. Pakistans North West Frontier Province is awash with murderous turbaned lunatics, and until it isn't, Pakistan will have to involved one way or the other.
The more I ponder the relationship of the US to muslim countries, the less I understand muslim antipathy to it. It is so contrary to the facts, so contrary to their interests, indeed so perverse I almost can't get my head round it. But then islam and rationality have never been close bedfellows.
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