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10 November 2007

Vleeptron reposts foul and abusive language so you can read it


The Agence-Vleeptron Presse supercomputer
didn't explode when I tried to post BBC Urdu on it, but it screwed up the remainder of the English text, so here's a repost that shouldn't be all messed up and that you can read.

The earlier warning that AV-P's comments may be All Wrong remains in effect. But The (London UK) Telegraph's editorial is down below, as are reader comments.

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The United Kingdom has a huge community of citizens of Pakistani descent. Modern Pakistan was part of Britain's India empire, and shortly after the colonial British Raj packed and went home in 1948, Pakistan and India separated, largely along religious lines. Former subjects of the Empire now possessed passports and citizenship which offered liberal migration to the UK and most Commonwealth nations around the world.

I don't know how to characterize Americans' news interest in Pakistan and its current political upheaval -- on CNN, O.J. Simpson's armed robbery accusations in Las Vegas have pretty easily knocked Pakistan off the screen -- but in the UK, BBC and daily newspaper coverage of the crisis in Pakistan is devoured intensely.

One factor cementing this bond and ratcheting up this news demand is that for at least 200 years, Britain forced the English language on the peoples of the Subcontinent -- if not directly at gunpoint, then in exchange for limited native participation offered by the Empire's system of government and commerce. The ticket to prosperity and upward mobility was printed exclusively in English. Though this vast region easily boasts a dozen major languages, English remains the glue that makes communication within the educated elite transparent and fluid from Islamabad to Dhaka and from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka. Even when relations between Pakistan and India are at their worst, neither government needs to bring along a translator.

Since declaring martial law last week, Pervez Musharraf -- who has acted as both civilian chief of state and as the commander of Pakistan's armed forces since a 1999 military coup overthrew the last elected civilian government -- has pulled the plug on both BBC and CNN broadcasts available to Pakistanis.

(BBC broadcasts in both English and Urdu, the largest Pakistani native language.)

The Musharraf government has also shut down privately-controlled television stations, but to date has allowed privately-controlled newspapers to keep publishing.

Much as it breaks this old newspaper guy's heart, it is a feature of the modern world that when a government wants to shut down the free flow of news and information, it now focuses almost entirely on television and radio, and doesn't waste much energy on daily newspapers. (That's why I know more about O.J. Simpson and Britney Spears this week than I do about the crisis in Pakistan.)

So who cares what newspapers say about anything? Clearly the latest edition of the dictator's textbook teaches that you can just ignore newspapers and let them snarl all they want; nobody reads, nobody gets his or her news from newspapers, hardly any minds are swayed from the pages of a newspaper.

Oddly enough, Musharraf, or one of his flunkies, cares. The government has taken the extraordinary step of expelling three journalists from the UK daily newspaper The Telegraph / Sunday Telegraph -- not for their own local coverage of the crisis, but for an editorial The Telegraph ran about Musharraf and the crisis on Friday.

In theory, a London newspaper editorial should upset the Pakistani military dictatorship at this moment about as much as an unflattering newspaper editorial from Uruguay should upset the Bush administration.

But in practice, somebody in Islamabad read Friday's Telegraph and went ripshit. Reuters:

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On Saturday, three journalists from Britain's Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph were expelled for "foul and abusive" language about the Pakistani leadership that officials said appeared in an editorial run on Nov. 9. A spokeswoman for the newspaper group in London declined to comment.

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Usually when a spokesperson declines to comment, the entity is hiding something or feeling guilty or embarrassed. Clearly not so here. The Telegraph was telling Reuters: "We already expressed our feelings in our editorial, go out and buy a copy."

Pretty damned sure this is the Telegraph editorial that shot Musharraf's blood pressure through the roof over his orange juice. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names ... well ...

Here's the first reader comment to The Telegraph in reaction to its editorial:

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The language used for the President of Pakistan in your leading article ("Bankrupt relationship", November 9) is offensive and flouts the norms of decent journalism.

For a newspaper of The Daily Telegraph's reputation to resort to such derogatory language is highly regrettable.

This deserves an apology.

Posted by Imran Gardezi, Minister Press, Pakistan High Commission, London SW1 on November 9, 2007
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The Telegraph (daily newspaper London UK)
Friday 9 November 2007

Editorial

Bankrupt relationship

Despite George W Bush's rhetoric about freedom, the struggle against terrorism is provoking a reaction familiar from the Cold War and nowhere is that clearer than over Pakistan.

In the old parlance, General Pervez Musharraf is "our sonofabitch". He has failed to stamp out extremist groups and close the madrassas that inspire them. He has allowed the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to fall into the hands of assorted jihadis. And he has sacked independent-minded judges for fear that the Supreme Court declare illegal his re-election as president last month.

Yet, despite this combination of incompetence and brutality, America and Britain continue to back him as head of what has a strong claim to be the most dangerous country in the world.

In order to broaden the government's political base, their plan is for the general to doff his army uniform later this month and enter into a power-sharing arrangement with Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party, after general elections in February.

If that ever comes to pass, it will bring together a soldier whose popularity has plummeted and a politician whose standing has been undermined by her willingness to cut a deal with him. And the prospects for its lasting are slim: Miss Bhutto and the military are like oil and water.

In short, the relationship between Gen Musharraf and the West is bankrupt. Valued as an ally after 9/11, he is now part of the problem. Under his dictatorship, Pakistan has become an increasingly ungovernable country in which moderate, secular forces have been sidelined to the advantage of the Islamists.

An alternative – an alliance between General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, the army chief designate, and Miss Bhutto's secular rival, Nawaz Sharif – seems neither imminent nor especially enticing. But that should not blind Britain and America to the fact that their "sonofabitch" in Pakistan is a spent force.

- 30 -

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Have your say / comments:

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The image which frightens me, and many in the west, is suicide bombers armed with nuclear weapons. A modern nuclear weapon could easily fit into a suitcase. Even smaller weapons may be possible - George Dyson claims in "Project Orion" that his father, Freeman Dyson link, helped to develop an atomic bomb so small it would fit in a shoebox.

So how do we stop the terrorists with nukes? Until there is a clear answer to that question, America and other powers will continue to do strange things in the name of peace.
Posted by Eric Worrall on November 9, 2007 1:11 PM

The US and UK are demanding elections in Pakistan; have they not learned from recent history? In Iraq, sectarian thugs like Nouri al-Maliki took power as a result of elections; and we all know what happened in the Palestinian Authority. The US and UK actively encouraged these elections. As my mother always says: "Be careful what you wish for".
Too many supposedly intelligent people in the UK Foreign Office and US State Department believe that elections are the solution to every crisis; but sometimes they create more problems than they solve.
Posted by Michael Laurence on November 9, 2007 12:04 PM

I think that the outside interests being slated in this piece and in comments so far rather divert attention from the realities on the ground in Pakistan where democracy is nothing like it is cracked up to be with blind support in millions to figures like Miss Bhutto and tacit support now waning from equally many to the dictatorship operated by President-General Musharraf.

I haven't noted the democratic process or indeed the application of laws on corruption and the like getting too much in the way of the ascendancy of either - or indeed of the missing player, Nawaz Sharif - who is the democratic leader actually ousted by Musharraf's coup.

Whither the emergence of a true candidate under no shadows and dancing to no external master - yet also interested in securing the borders of Pakistan and dealing with extremist fundamentalism within the framework of a secular state and laws?

My guess is that the educated, ruling class is as much a caste in Pakistan ever in power as in India - even if names not previously at the top in politics gain something out of the present situation.

What is an ordinary Pakistani - and what is that they want from politics for their country - does anyone really know - given the charismatic approach of Bhutto and the dictatorship of Musharraf they appear to have no voice. I wonder though what mischief is being dispensed by the religious with so much access to those at prayer. Extremism is not just operating overtly in the northern border regions.
Posted by simon coulter on November 9, 2007 11:52 AM

George Bush only believes in Democracy and Freedom when and as it suits him to do so. The situation in Pakistan is typical of American politics during his presidency as is the situation in Iraq.The rule of law is just that and you cannot pick and chose when and if to use it and follow it as you please like he seems to think that you can.Remember unlike Iran Pakistan does have nuclear weapons of mass destruction !!Will Usa invade in the name of freedom and democracy for the people though?
Posted by william beeby on November 9, 2007 10:48 AM

We must win the war on terror even if it means:-

1) the deaths of terrorists and their friends,
2) those who don't support us in the war on terror and their friends,
3) those who we suspect to be terrorists and their friends;
4) those who we suspect are not with us (although not against us) in the war on terror;
5) those in countries that may become terror states;
6) the inhabitants of the Axis of Evil countries;
7) Effectively 75%, or more of world's population must die in order for us to win the war on terror.

We the British think that this is a small price to pay peace and security in the world today.

Posted by Major John Driver on November 9, 2007 10:05 AM

When he was last in the UK I saw Musharraf on TV chat show he seemed to be quite a humnourous chap more interested in selling his book! What I don't understand is why he (and other leaders) doesn't just take the money and retire somewhere nice?
Posted by Steve Byrne on November 9, 2007 8:41 AM

"In short, the relationship between Gen Musharraf and the West is bankrupt."

It is better to replace Gen Musharraf with Pakistan. At least, West is realizing so late that their policies and relationship on Pakistan have been bankrupt. Unfortunately, it is yet to wake up on Saudi Arabia and its corrupt highly feudal and fundamentalist monsters!

These two betrayed, showed double face and double standards on war on terror and West’s interests in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here Bush is largely guilty with his poor understanding of these nations. He got carried away by personal relationships!

To safeguard the US and allies’ interest in Afghanistan, they have to be ruthless and merciless on Pakistan. Unfortunately, this will have a spill over in the West itself due to a high percentage of Pakistani immigrants in some nations such as Britain and some more. Internally also, they have to keep a strict watch on their Islamic extremist activities and terrorism in some cases!

The choices are very limited in Pakistan. Pakistan is sitting on a powder keg and there will be a free for all bloody civil war over which West will have few controls!
Regards,
Posted by Krishna R. Kumar on November 9, 2007 3:14 AM

This whole stupid situation has arisen because the US has one template for dealing with muslim countries and its been developed in the Arab world. The fact is, Pakistan is very different from Algeria or Saudi Arabia. It has a real democratic tradition, real parties, real lawyers and (thanks to honorable chief justice Iftikhar Choudhry) almost had an independent judiciary. Even the British colonial administration, while autocratic and colonial in its outlook, had moved centuries beyond the Caliphs and Kings of the Arab world. Yet the Americans insisted on seeing Pakistan as just another Egypt or Algeria or Syria and spent 10 billion dollars propping up an incompetent, dishonest and useless dictator. Now they will complain that Pakistani people dont admire us and dont support our "war on terror"????
Posted by Omar Ali on November 9, 2007 1:38 AM

By basically giving Musharaff constant approval and plenty of friendly, purring sounds, the US and Britain have managed to achieve their worst possible nightmare; a real-live nuclear power on the verge of an Islamist take-over. All of this attention being paid to the loud-mouthed racist in Iran has taken everyone's attention off the ball. It is Pakistan where one will find the real allies of Al Qaeda, not in Iran or Iraq. It is Pakistan where you will find operational nuclear devices and the missiles capable of delivering them to a rather large radius of Central Asian countries, not Iran or Iraq.

It was a mistake to give Musharaff the nod of approval after 9-11. Rather than give us a great ally, it gave us a dictator with surprisingly little power over key areas of the country.

Tnank goodness India is there to keep whoever manages to crawl and/or shoot their way to power in check.
Posted by Aaron Clausen on November 9, 2007 1:06 AM

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© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2007

10 comments:

Vleeptron Dude said...

Hiya rook

I sort of like a website link or profile, Vleeptron forbids Anonymous Driveby Comments -- but thanks for yours. I think this is a tremendously interesting story and I'm grateful for your feedback. But ... where are you? PK? UK? Just toss us a little hint.

I'm an old newspaper guy, and for me the interest and importance of this story is how the Musharraf regime was so offended by the editorial of a private UK newspaper that they expelled The Telegraph's journalists from PK. I think that's much more significant than the editorial itself. An editorial is plainly marked as opinion, not Truth. The interesting thing is that it showed that, in Musharraf's moment of desperation, clinging to power by armed force, he showed such a thin skin about an opinion from half a world away.

I am certainly no fan of Blair, and you paint a pretty accurate picture of what a sonuvabitch he is. But the difference between Blair and Musharraf is that Blair became and remained PM by standing for popular election and defeating his opponents, all in accord with UK law.

Musharraf got his job through a military coup and holds on to it this week with massive arrests of lawyers and human rights activists. Would Musharraf be PK's leader if it were up to the people of Pakistan? He's never risked taking such a chance.

As for meddling in the politics of Pakistan -- that's just what the free press all around the world does, and Vleeptron has proudly been meddling in other countries' politics for about 5 years. (We've been particularly abusive to Thailand and Myanmar -- we don't like military juntas very much.)

It's much easier to tolerate a sonuvabitch like Blair or Bush knowing that voters or other constitutional institutions, like judges and parliaments, can fire them. Everybody who could fire Musharaff is in jail this week.

life as such said...

I feel that all western leaders are spent and irrevelant. These leaders are almost out of touch with today :

-- biggest terrorist is the climate warming countries or leaders. Even El Gore is scared and he lies. Would he ask every American to consume and pollute as much as an ordinary African Citizen. Dont talk bur give example....
-- Pakistan is in real mess and it will implode. Like Iran in times of Shah, we have a similar replay. Musharraf is doing an excellent job in eliminating all moderates through his military courts. What are international leaders doing.... Clapping with smiles in the style of Salvador Dali. There is nothing America can do since it was them who gave them the bomb.

Vleeptron Dude said...

Hi Gouri, Salaam --

Listen, I don't need your street address and flat number, but could you just give me a little hint about where you're commenting from? It's just for my vanity ... I get truly excited to think that something I post on this goofy blog is read by people in Asia. So ... are you in PK? Just throw me a little bone, please!

And that goes for the rest of you Commenters: If you want to call me a dumb American idiot, please let me know where you are!

Gouri ... tell you the truth, I agree with a lot of your analysis. This is a very harsh and unpleasant new era for the power centers of the West. We used to think we ruled the planet, and suddenly we discover that Asia, Africa and South America have stopped dancing to our tune.

I don't like military coups and juntas, but I have always known that when he first seized power, Musharraf was very popular with the Pakistani people. He was seen as an antidote and a cleansing to political corruption.

But the image of a government arresting all the LAWYERS!!! I have seen a lot of coups and declarations of martial law, but I have never seen this before. Leftists, political opponents, human rights dissidents -- but LAWYERS and JUDGES???

Maybe parliamentary constitutional democracy is not, as we fantasize in the West, the Magic Answer to All Governments.

But neither is military rule at gunpoint. Musharraf is desperate and is in his final days in power.

Sorry I can't remember who said this, but it goes something like this:

"Totalitarianism is just another form of government the way kicking over the chessboard is just another way of playing chess."

Okay, on this Pakistan/Musharraf thread, a new Vleeptron rule: Just tell me WHERE you're commenting from! THEN you can use foul and abusive language.

SuperwebG said...

Thanks for your post. I think your reading of the situation is absolutely spot on.

Musharraf may have had the best of intentions, but his autocratic bent of mind, inability to hear dissent and patronage of an array of corrupt political cronies is proof positive that his methods are only digging a deeper hole for the country.

With his plummeting popularity, he finds himself focused on doing anything to cling on to power while the Taliban go from strength to strength. Sad...

By the way, since you asked, I'm posting from Karachi in Pakistan

Vleeptron Dude said...

Many thanks, Misanthrope! You are now Agence-Vleeptron Presse's Man-on-the-Ground in Karachi!

We pay our correspondents in pizza -- here when you visit Massachusetts, or you choose your favorite pizzeria in Karachi when I get there, but I'm buying.

Well -- as the Chinese are rumored to say: May you live in Interesting Times. You're indeed in the Center Of The Cyclone. Stay safe.

But any insights and dispatches into this astonishing moment in Pakistan's history ... this dumb Yank blogger would be deeply appreciative.

If you're getting Vleeptron through PKBLOGS, I think you're my first proof that they really DO read Vleeptron in blog-censored Asia! Wow!

And now I have to spend a few hours reading your blogs! You're not the only insatiably curious guy on Earth!

Vleeptron Dude said...

Oh dear, I was hoping Misanthrope's blogs would not be remarkably fascinating, so reading them would not send days of my life into an irretrievable black hole.

Unfortunately for me, Misanthrope's blogs are wonderfully written, and take aim at fascinating things all over planet Earth and far back into historical time.

You can get to his "More Ramblings from Afar" by clicking on Misanthrope's name on his comment above, or go to

http://moreramblingsfromafar.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

don't worry about the bbc urdu font. even urdu readers have trouble reading it.

Vleeptron Dude said...

Well, that's depressing. It never occurred to me that if my sick, gasping pewter and my blogspot software didn't have a volcanic meltdown to filch and post an Urdu webpage, the intended audience still wouldn't grok it.

Did you see Misanthrope's Comment??? It's true! Somebody in Pakistan really reads Vleeptron! Color me astonished!

Latest development of course: Musharraf has promised elections. But is still maintaining the emergency decree.

YOU'RE the dude who wondered why I found Pakistani politics interesting. Actually, even on USA commercial TV news, Pakistan has been giving Britney Spears and O.J. Simpson a pretty credible competition for top-story air time.

What's the family phone buzz? Is everybody in PK just sort of shrugging and trying to ignore all this, or is there a lot of concern, interest and passion?

James J. Olson said...

A former student of mine is Pakistani, and I just received a text message from her, she is in Hyderabad and she says things are bad. An uncle has been detained, and there is no word about his whereabouts. She is actually an American citizen, and is trying to get out, but the US is actually making it virtually impossible for American-born citizens of Pakistani descent to enter or return from Pakistan right now...she might be a terra-ist. (She is the sweetest person I think I've ever met, and is western educated, and is as liberal a Muslim I think I've ever met, even though I've never actually seen her hair...)

Do you suppose that anyone has dared to suggest to President Bush (a.k.a the Boy King) that he is the root of much of the world's political and economic problems just now? Oil is high, mortgages are low. The American middle class is quickly going under. It's been reported that 25% of all homeless persons are Veterans. Violence and terra-ism [sic] are growing. American international credibility and foreign policy are in the tank. Corruption, lies, graft, cronyism and more lies abound in the government. Our military is stretched too thin across one unnecessary war, one with dubious aims, and one against an ideology rather than an actual enemy, all unwinnable. The Boy King's partner on the War on Terra-ism [sic] Musharraf is himself chief architect of much of the problem in the sub-continent, and has nukular [sic] weapons. The Democrats, now in control of the House and the Senate are useless, spineless wusses afraid to say to the Boy King "No More Money For War." The whole pack of them are too ball-less to strong-arm their Republican counterparts into ending the rule of the Emperor With No Brain. Bush and Cheney should have been impeached while the ink on Nancy Pelosi's new business cards was still wet. The worst part of the whole thing is that I might just have to suck it up and vote for Hillary.

Sorry. /rant.

Anonymous said...

Okay first off, let me give the disclaimer that I haven't purposefully blogged about this myself personally and don't intend to either.

Let's make this abundantly clear no matter what western media tells you. Benazir Bhutto is no better, in fact we'd be worse off. She is just riding off her father's legacy, who was probably hanged for good reason from the previous martial law. She is in the top three list of the most corrupt individuals that exist in Pakistan today.

Convenient isn't it that suddenly the bombs have stopped. The taliban are raising their flags over the towns they are capturing in swat. The police and security services are busy rounding up lawyers and journalists and the few remaining liberals in the country are too busy to go after terrorists. But....no bombs. Was the military behind the bombings to create the situation for martial law? probably. From easy Pakistan to the Ojhari camp massacre to today, we know the military agencies will shed all the blood they need to get what they want.

Don't get me wrong though. I'd definitely like to see a free and fair election. we've had democracy for less than a decade in Pakistan. Yet we conveniently heap all of Pakistan's troubles at its doorstep as if a non-democratic Pakistan was the land of milk and honey. Democracy will not solve all of Pakistan's problems over night, but give it the 8 uninterrupted years that we have given to this dictator and I'm pretty sure we'll be better off.

The struggle in Pakistan right now isn't one of corrupt political parties. It is off civil society. It is about understanding that it is we who have to constantly hold rulers to account, be it civil or military. It is about siding with an independent Supreme Court that is the best tool of accountability not just in terms of monetary corruption but also misuse of power.

Its not an overnight perfect revolution that will change everything. But it is a first step. ISI being called to account by the court. Such a court could much more easily do the same with any elected leader.

What is happening in Pakistan is precisely an example of people struggling for one another. Of showing the government that it can't do whatever the fuck it wants against the wishes of the people. If this movement is successful, it will be unprecedented in the history of Pakistan. Because an active civil society is the best tool of accountability. The courts etc aren't perfect, but its the best we have. After a house is bulldozed you don't get a perfect mansion the next day. It takes time to clear away the shit and slowly rebuild.

Our faith in democratic rule is shaken after less than a decade of democracy. Our faith in dictatorship remains despite 50 years of it.

If anything, I'm losing faith in our power to reason.

Some people would say that there's no such things as "free and fair elections" in a corrupt country like Pakistan. More than likely true as well. With the exception of the 1990 and 2003 election, the elections in 1988, 1993 and 1997 were held to be largely free and fair by Commonwealth, EU, US and local observers. Perhaps they weren't perfect (neither was Florida in 2000) but they were largely free and fair. I have many lawyer friends that have been beaten/arrested and a friends dad who is flying back to Karachi from Toronto who's on a "to be arrested" list. They're struggling fairly hard.

Pakistan has suffered enough already and now even our basic freedoms are being taken away. Media freedoms have been taken away, Judges have been sacked and Lawyers and opposition leaders are being arrested. All this under the banner of an emergency, to ensure one man's rule over Pakistan.

If you want to know more about the history of the military rule in Pakistan, I highly suggest you read this book titled Military Inc which has actually been banned in Pakistan. The book is available in fine form here.

As for how people are reacting. Well, people learn to live with it. They still need to earn money, go to work, run their businesses and feed their families. I gave my O level exams with riots and school shootings going on outside my school walls at 8 am. Couldn't go home till 7 pm when the riots stopped. I'm not scarred for life. It was a part of life for me. Shit happens, we move on. Instead of fire drills, we used to have riot drills. I was caught in a cross fire with my dad and people wielding AK47's. It didn't even make a headline. Because for that part of the world, it's not news, it's life. I'm too numb to such things to care. That's how people are there. Sure the western media can rant and rave about how the big picture affects everyone. But to the common man, earning his $10 a month, you think he cares who's running the country?