akistan is an erstwhile ally of ours; a young independent nation with a 60 year history. 30 of those years have produced a succession of uniformed dictators. Their current military dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, purports to be our friend-and-ally and in repayment receives some 2 billion dollars annually in aid. The General is a man of arrogance and dictatorial power. In March of this year he arbitrarily suspended Pakistan"s independent minded chief justice. The suspension coincided with the court's preparing to hear challenges to the general's plotting to keep himself in power as both president and commander. Our uncritical support for the man has reinforced his hubris and insularity. Ever since Sept.11, 2001, the United States has been reimbursing Pakistan's military for fighting Taliban and Al Qaeda forces along the Afghan border. Overall it appears that the more unpopular Pakistan's general becomes at home and the less willing he is to fight the Taliban, the more the Bush administration grabs on to him. It would appear that the White House is fearful that the next ruler could be worse and a nuclear armed Pakistan would be a major concern.
It is approaching a year since General Musharef cut back on efforts to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces, yet we continue to pay him. He is not the kind of friend this country needs. We need to be on the side of democracy in that country and we should even facilitate a democratic election which could well include two exiled former leaders; Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, both of whom are forced to live abroad.