Coup, Coup, Kachoo
It certainly looks like Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has just staged an outright coup. This has been developing all day and so far everything is pointing to a complete power grab. The chief justice of the Supreme Court as well as several other justices have been arrested, a communications blackout is in force, and a full state of emergency is in place. It also appears that Benazir Bhutto has been arrested as well.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan on Saturday, suspending the constitution, replacing the chief justice before a crucial Supreme Court ruling on his future as president, and cutting communications in the capital.
His leadership threatened by an increasingly defiant court and an Islamic movement that has spread to Islamabad, Musharraf's emergency order accused some judges of "working at cross purposes with the executive" and "weakening the government's resolve" to fight terrorism.
Seven of the 17 Supreme Court judges immediately rejected the emergency, which suspended the current constitution. Police blocked entry to the Supreme Court building and later took the deposed chief justice and other judges away in a convoy, witnesses said.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a longtime rival of Musharraf who recently returned from eight years of exile, flew back to Pakistan from Dubai where she was visiting family. She left the airport under police escort; her house was surrounded by paramilitary troops.
The government halted all television transmissions in major cities other than state-controlled Pakistan TV. Telephone service in the capital, Islamabad, was cut.
The order drew swift complaints from the United States and Britain — Musharraf's main Western allies. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged restraint on all sides and a swift return to democracy in Pakistan.
The United States "does not support extraconstitutional measures," Rice said from Turkey, where she was participating in a conference with Iraq's neighbors.
But, in justification, the emergency order obtained by The Associated Press said "the constitution provides no solution for this situation, there is no way out except through emergent and extraordinary measures," it said.
Governments appear to be trying not to call it a coup, but it sure looks like one from here. The Telegraph has the British reaction. Times of London here.
Governments appear to be trying not to call it a coup, but it sure looks like one from here. The Telegraph has the British reaction. Times of London here.
World news | Gaius November 3, 2007
By James, November 3, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
It simply looks like Musharraf is doing what is necessary for Pakistan National Security.
What is the big deal? Bush does the same things in America, except that Bush hasn’t openly suspended the U.S. constitution outright, just ignores the laws as he sees fit, for, I might add, national security. (Those signing statements are pure genius.) Musharraf is taking it one step futher by overt suspensions to Bush’s way of covert constitutional suspensions.
And Musharraf is using the same arguements as Bush’s: “the constitution provides no solution for this situation, there is no way out except through emergent and extraordinary measures,”; Hence spying on Americans without warrents is ok, waterboarding is ok, arresting people and locking them up without evidence, or having a real trial because the evidence is top secret, removing that silly habeas corpus thing, ok.
If Musharraf, who is the president of Pakistan, thinks it’s necessary, it’s necessary. Remember, If the president does it, it can’t be illegal as per Nixon, Bush, and Musharraf. Give the telecom’s their immunity for crying out loud. So they broke a dumb law; Bush said it was for national security. What else do people want?
A Coup? Come on. As soon as things settle down Musharraf will reactivate their constitution.
I wonder if all the nukes are accounted for.
By Gaius, November 3, 2007 @ 3:44 pm
Yeah, I see Bush has silenced you. Must be tough transmitting from the gulag.
By Kathy, November 3, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
You see that, James? If you can post a comment on a blog, that means Pres. Bush is not spying on Americans without warrants, torturing prisoners, arresting them and locking them up without evidence, or abolishing habeus corpus. The fact that you could post your comment here means that none of that other stuff is happening.
By Gaius, November 3, 2007 @ 8:47 pm
Perhaps if you were to look at real, as opposed to echo chamber, violations of liberty you might want to talk to say monks in Burma. Or students in Venezuela.
But I suppose that might sprain a synapse. It’s just easier to blame a government that wont crush you, suppress you or beat your head into a pulp.
Feel like a hero for what you advocate. Just don’t look at reality.
By Mwalimu Daudi, November 3, 2007 @ 10:52 pm
Imagine being the poor soul ordered to spy on “James”. Talk about a lousy civil service job - being forced to listen to and report at length on his mind-numbing conspiracy theories!
Such a job might even violate safety in the workplace laws. Where are the public employee unions, now that we really need them?
Gaius, whatever you do don’t kick this guy out. He is more fun than a barrel of “Havard” graduates.
By NortonPete, November 4, 2007 @ 5:53 am
One of the most ridiculous ideas held by the the uninformed is this belief that their cellphone and internet activities should be absolutely private. This is truly “falling down laughingly stupid”. If you want privacy don’t broadcast from a cellphone. Technically speaking, aliens orbiting the Earth could be listening. And the internet is nothing more than a loosely connected series of computers that pass information on to any computer listening. People are so disconnected from the real world that they believe that a cellphone directly connects with who they call. I want the NSA listening in on all calls going to the bad places. And skip waterboarding just pull there fingernails out.
By Gaius, November 4, 2007 @ 6:33 am
Sorry, Mwalimu, I hit the delete key halfway through his comment. Life’s too short.
By Kathy, November 4, 2007 @ 3:00 pm
It’s just easier to blame a government that wont crush you, suppress you or beat your head into a pulp.
Maybe I have higher standards than this, Gaius.