If you expected tough talk from Britain in reaction to Musharraf's coup, then double-check the mushrooms you have been eating with your salad. Taking his cue from Condi, David Milliband made it clear that "it was not the right time" to talk about applying pressure to restore democracy in Pakistan. Instead, the head of the US State Department's London branch gave us a lecture on how everyone (ie. him, Condi and Javier Solana) agrees that democracy is the best way to promote stability and human rights in Pakistan. I don't claim to be an expert on Pakistan but recent history shows that neither military rule nor democracy have been outstanding successes. From what I understand, Pakistan is almost as tribal as Afghanistan (that other model democracy) and is therefore doomed either to corrupt chaos or heavy clampdown.
Anyway, the issue is definitely not democracy. It's not even about maintaining the integrity of Pakistan. It is about making sure that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal does not fall into the hands of Taliban sympathisers and for America it is better the devil you know although it's an anxious time with Waziri tribesman capturing and beheading Pakistani soldiers. That is why the US State Department talks about "its regret" over the coup. The language is identical to that used when an US taxpayer funded Israeli Apache helicopter fires a missile into an appartment block in Gaza and wipes out 50 civilians. In other words, we don't regret a damn thing but we have to maintain our hollow reputation as a defender of global democratic/humanitarian values.
And what happens when Musharraf is forced to flee like the Shah of Iran and the venal politicians fail for the n-th time to provide leadership and maintain law and order? Will we see Enduring Freedom Part II? Or will we nuke several cities just to be on the safe side? David?
