U.S. – Pakistan: Obama Misstep or Policy Shift?
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, under pressure from his U.S. supporters yielded and agreed to reinstate Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudry. The U.S. supports President Zardari but the administration is also supporting public marches and demonstrations to which Zardari and his appointed local governor, Salmaan Taseer, have opposed. The main demonstration that was planned was directed by former Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, ostensibly with the goal of getting President Zardari to reinstate the former Chief Justice Chaudry who was ousted during former President Pervez Musharraf’s administration.
My question is whether this is a seeming shift in U.S. international policy to be more open to somewhat democratic movements in Muslim nations whether they
- foster 100%, egalitarian involvement
or - support the candidates we want in power
or if this is another potential diplomatic screw-up by the Obama administration.
President Zardari came to power six months ago after the assassination of his wife, Benazir Bhutto.
