Unpopular and desperate, Musharraf suspended the bulk of Pakistan's Constitution, shut down the judicial system, raided the Office of Human Rights Commission, arrested human rights activists, and restricted TV and radio stations from broadcasting. He is justifying his actions by blaming terrorists -- but he's only targeting opposition leaders, peaceful demonstrators, lawyers and judges. Days ago, he detained several of the Supreme Court Justices, including the Chief Justice.Musharraf relies heavily on the United States for aid, as well as arms supplies. The United States has provided billions of dollars worth of arms and military training for Musharraf's security forces in the last couple of years, ranging from F-16 fighter jets, tens of thousands of parts for the M-113 armored personnel carrier, to rifles, pistols, and revolvers. President Bush must intervene. The United States has a special obligation to stand up to Musharraf's actions, given the nations' alliance in the war on terror. President Bush has spoken out -- but he must speak more forcefully and suspend any weapons transfers to Pakistan that would likely be used to commit or facilitate human rights violations in the close to $1.5 billion U.S. proposed military package to Pakistan for FY08.
Security in Pakistan will not come until human rights are universally respected. Freedom of expression, freedom of press, and an independent judiciary are cornerstones of any democracy.
Could this happen in America? Is our country currently being set up so that a situation like this one could happen here; In the land of the Free, home of the Brave?
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