POW! (Not.)

While American men and women are spilling real blood in Iraq and Afghanistan, the GWOT has devolved into a clown show.

For combined idiocy and duplicity, this week was a classic.  The setting was Pervez Musharraf's visit to Washington.  The background was Bush's off-script comment last week indicating the U.S. might forsake Pakistani sovereignty to hunt for bin Ladin.  The episode featured the political retaliation, involving Islamabad -- immediately before Musharraf's meeting with Bush -- exposing the Administration's threat, immediately after 9/11, to "bomb Pakistan back into the stone age."

The situation sent the three major players running for cover.

Richard Armitage, who delivered the threat, claimed it never was that blatant.  The file photo above, however, has been circulating for days as the embodiment of the fist in Musharraf's face.  If the heavy-handedness was appropriate at the time, it now plays like the kind of intimidation and bullying that causes the Administration to poison every diplomatic well.

Then we have these real life caricatures from the joint press conference.

In a brilliant example of how the terror war's big winner is the corporate state, Musharraf displayed feigned outrage, but refused to elaborate on the "stone age" charge because he has a book coming out shortly, and his (American) publisher wouldn't let him steal any thunder!  (I can hardly write this without thinking I'm kidding.)

As for Bush? (Please, someone issue an overdone hunching and gesticulation alert.)  He employed the famous "stupidity defense," claiming he first read about the threat last week in the newspaper.

... And we thought he didn't read the paper.

(image 1: Toru Yamanaka/AFP.  2005.  Via YahooNews.  image 2:  J. Scott Applewhite/A.P.  Washington.  September 22, 2006. Via YahooNews.)

Comments

[jonst]

I'll say this for the Bush family: They ALWAYS punish their domestic political enemies. They may not get them to the extent they would like. At least not at first. But they always get them. And they are amazingly loyal to their ‘friends’ so long as those ‘friends’ do their bidding. And this dynamic was true long before W was gleam in his father eye...in so far as looking at Mrs. Bush, the cold hearted, ruthless SOB she is, could inspire a gleam. I think the family, pre-W's mother and father, is little studied and less understood. It’s almost as if someone's granny is beyond the pale when it comes to research. Tis a shame...because the history of the family provides the best clues to who W is and why he is the way he as.

[jt from BC]

Yep, Noriega comes to mind automatically but a few others are profiled at: http://www.bushwatch.com/family.htm

[ummabdulla]

Musharraf is certainly good at imitating Western ways, and who cares that he took over in a military coup?

Juan Cole quotes a news report from 17 September 2001:

"...Pakistan according to some officials wants the US to also provide it with some incentives: economic and military assistance, removal of sanctions, debt relief, active role in helping it to solve the Kashmir problem and no role of India and Israel in this military operation.

"However, the signals from Washington are that while these demands will be considered sympathetically, at this point in time the only incentive that is available to Pakistan is negative. 'Pakistan has the option to live in the 21st century or the Stone Age' is roughly how US officials are putting their case."

Apparently Armitage isn't really denying he said this; he's just saying that it wasn't a threat!

(I agree with Helen Thomas's point, but this statement merits a guffaw: "The variety and breadth of newspaper stories make Americans the best-informed people in the world." I guess if you count being informed about celebrities and their babies...)

[Quentin]

Did Helen Thomas really say something as utterly stupid as that? If so, I'm nearly as stupid because I thought she was one of the few established journalists with some sense. By the way, for those of who might want to cry, read Frank Rich's column in the NY Times. You can access it by going to technocrati and typing 'new york times frank rich'.

[readytoblowagasket]

"the GWOT has devolved into a clown show"

Especially in light of a credible report that bin Laden died *last month*. It's like a Keystone Cops routine as everyone denies the report.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Kops

And the irrefutable proof that bin Laden is *alive*? People just think it.

"French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said that as far as he knew the al Qaeda leader was still alive."

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-09-24T171129Z_01_L23793153_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-BINLADEN.xml

"As far as he knew."

Is anyone even looking for bin Laden?

[Kevin Bjorke]

There's no question about the clown show. Look at him shouting down the press corps during his recent address about changing the "interpretation of" the Geneva Conventions -- alternating between bully and whiny schoolgirl.

AND YET, to my own terror, his approval rating has made big upward strides! Are people really so frightened of airline shampoo bottles?

[MonsieurGonzo]

BUY THE BOOK : “Asked where Osama was, [Karzai] smiled and replied: “If I said he was in Pakistan, President Musharraf would be mad at me. And if I said he was in Afghanistan, it would not be true.”

Everybody knows where Osama bin Laden is: he's in Wikipedia, and he's on television; his voice is recorded and his words are history; he's part of “the conversation” that is our culture. To find Osama bin Laden, all you have to do is Google him...

...and he/his will be summoned.

Aye, that's the rub. That's the problem apparent when you have a Genie in a Bottle ~ you can't rub him out.

The Arab peoples have a history of dealing with jinnis ~ they out-smart them. It's all in their history books, and in the conversation that is their culture. Oh, yeah ~ they know how to summon a jinni and they know how to outsmart him: with words.

Genies in the West, these Stalin/Hitler characters and African despots and South American dictators ~ generally, you can rub them out. We're good at that, when we want to be. Yeah. We know how to have a successful revolution against a Monarchy and a Colonial Empire and live well, and live to tell the tale.

It looks to me like the Arabians and the AngloAmericans have a lot of history to share, and learn about dealing with scary-bad Jinnis and Generals.

So the question isn't, "Where is Osama bin Laden?" but where is he not? And the answer is: he's not in IRAQ; and you can't rub him out.

[Quentin]

No, everyone would agree he's not in Iraq. Opinions differ as to whether he is in Florida.

[Scorpio]

Oh, "read the paper" was his New Year's Reso;ution this year. He chose _USA Today_, but he is really unhappy cuz they don't have enough comics.

[donna]

America really needs to make a decision about how we choose to live. Will we keep living with bread and circuses, and the ensuing clowns, or are we going to demand something more.

Some of us have been demanding something more for six years now. And we are really tired of waiting for everyone else to catch on as to what the Bush family, their cohorts, and the rich crowd that supports them has been up to.

Wake up, 'Merka. Rednecks, they don't even *like* you, much less want to have a beer with you. Christians, they could give a shit about your God, unless it's politically useful.

Only the rich have a reason to support Bush and his ilk. Other than them, you're being screwed. And even the rich are simply being used.

Machiavelli would be so damned proud of Rove and his little Prince Dubya.

[Cactus]

The Bag said: ". . . exposing the Administration's threat, immediately after 9/11, to "bomb Pakistan back into the stone age.""

We now know that this is how they think and how they talk off (or occasionally on) the record. The denial pageantry and parade of puppets is for those sitting in their back yard gazebo drinking koolaid over ice.

Armitage has been a player behind the scenes for decades and anyone not addled knows that he's fully capable of such remarks. The only people 'buying' his denial are other players in the same soup. It will be interesting to see if CBS "edits" Musharraf's comments. Besides, Musharraf knows well the US will turn his country into Iraq2 at the drop of a hat if it wishes. He knows he must make nice to W. But when W. said he would invade his country, he caused Musharraf a public loss of face and I'm betting that's what caused that look of.......hatred.

BTW, I loved the 'fireplug' reference. Here, doggie.......

PS: Bravo to MonsieurGonzo

[margaret]

I think the expression in Musharaffah's face says it all: the scepticism which Americans ought to have, themselves, about anything that is said by ANYBODY in Washington!

[readytoblowagasket]

And speaking of Stone Age, Armitage looks pretty Stone Age himself.

[weisseharre]

arm(i)tag(e):ami-grate? iamgrate mag-rat,ie

[jt from BC]

A 3 minute CNN video interview link may be found at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Armitage,
A charming diplomat or a Mafia enforcer ?

[Dr. William Dyer]

The question I wonder about is when was it that somebody pointed out Pakistan had ~50 nuclear warheads as well as a lot people with the know-how on their construction. I mean if India with around a billion people and a decent military(not great) to back it up does not push too hard at Pakistan, why would we.

Yea, we can sit back a fire away at them, and turn them into a replica of the lunar surface; but those nukes and their maintainers were not going to just sit and take it. I think there are good odds that by the time the first flight of b-52's and b-2's landed back home, a couple of those devices and/or their blueprints would have found homes with some newfound allies.

This trip down memory lane about the early days of the way Bush actually handled post-Sept 11th diplomacy makes sense considering how he has handled all the others since(you know-- we don't want to do this, but this use of force is for your own good). What I find worrisome about this information is that at this time we may no longer have this voice or voices that made sure to work out something to quell the populace of Pakistan enough that Musharraf not be overthrown and the nukes stay put. By making this information public now, this may be a warning concerning how things are going in a familiar and once agian bad direction in our seemingly likely encounter with Iran.

[momly]

Musharraf is feigning outrage? He looks pretty pissed to me. Maybe he's just a good poker player or actor.

[Peanut]

Is Dr. Henry Armitage any relation to Richard?

[Rafael]

Musharraf face:"You got to be $hitting me!"

[Jonathan Berhow]

-"the GWOT has devolved into a clown show."

DE-vovled??? As a reference point, see the Cold War propaganda film "The Red Menace." Oceania is at war with Eurasia. Oceania has always been at war with East Asia - "Remember our boys on the Malabar front!"

-"“We would take the action necessary to bring them to justice”, Bush highlighted, adding that US soldiers deployed in Afghanistan would even go over to Pakistan if intelligence data indicated that Osama was hiding there, alongside some of his commanders." And, "bomb Pakistan back into the stone age."

Pakistan, the new Cambodia.

-"Is anyone even looking for bin Laden?"

Who in a poition of power and in their right mind would want to do such a thing?

MG writes:
"Everybody knows where Osama bin Laden is: he's in Wikipedia, and he's on television; his voice is recorded and his words are history; he's part of “the conversation” that is our culture. To find Osama bin Laden, all you have to do is Google him...and he/his will be summoned."

Exactly!

Rafael, thanks for the laugh.

[gleex]

General looks a little pissed at the king/jester. Almost like he knows he should shut up, but is mentally saying one more dis and I am going to open a can of whoop ass that makes the last comment/leak look like classroom gossip. The clown with the shrug and I don't know jack routine looks a little thin.

As for making Iraq2 it ain’t going to be the Generals country. They have a nuke and there is no way in hell we are invading them. They might loft a nuke at India (wanting to weaken there enemy along with their own inevitable weakening) and one at us somewhere. However the plan B of a coupe would be quite easy for the CIA, and if the neocons were stupid enough to fire enough CIA advisors who would say that sort of thing would be stupid, and to order it what us and the world would get stuck with would be devastatingly worse.

Christ Pakistan or elements within sold nuke secrets to North Korea, and Iran, and others. They did not pay jack for that, as a matter of fact the mil-indust complex got an order for 20 some odd fighter jets to sell them.