Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, left, arrives with newly appointed army chief General Ashfaq Kayani for the change-of-command ceremony in Rawalpindi. Aamir Qureshi / AFP / GettyFrom Newsweek:
Rather than serve as a bulwark against chaos, the Army has helped destabilize Pakistan. For far too long, the myth that Pakistan's army is the only thing holding the country together—and keeping the terrorists at bay—has held sway in Washington. Now two bills making their way through Congress suggest the United States is finally starting to reconsider these assumptions. Both bills would set benchmarks that Pakistan has to meet in order to keep qualifying for U.S. economic and military assistance. But the two measures don't go far enough. Pakistan will never be saved from the threat of religious extremists until it fundamentally restructures its deeply dysfunctional government. And that will require addressing the overwhelming influence of the military on Pakistani politics.
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My Comment: You know that there is something wrong when former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf retires .... and he then moves into a multi-million dollar home. Hmmmm .... not bad for someone who is on the Army payroll.
Corruption has always been a fact of life in Pakistan. It is a part of their culture .... and we may huff and puff our disapproval .... but for every dollar that is given to Pakistan .... much if not all of it will end up in someone's pocket.
And as for the extremists .... as far as I am concerned .... whether in the Taliban or in the Army, they are all the same.