Secretary
of State Clinton: Her recent criticism of the Pakistan
media
has resulted in this harsh editorial reaction from Pakistan's
The Nation newspaper.
The Nation, Pakistan
Hillary Clinton
Should Mind Her Own Media!
"In true
imperial fashion, she declared that Washington hadn't responded properly to criticism
in Pakistan's media of the Kerry-Lugar Aid bill - criticism based on lies of
course - but that now it would offer a fitting response."
EDITORIAL
October 24, 2009
Pakistan - The Nation - Original Article (English)
In terms of U.S. antics,
things in Pakistan are becoming ever more ridiculous. As if new restrictions
imposed by Congress on military aid to Pakistan aren't bad enough, we're now
seeing Secretary of State Clinton target Pakistan's press. In true imperial fashion,
she declared that Washington hadn't responded properly to criticism in
Pakistan's media of the Kerry-Lugar Aid bill - criticism based on lies of course - but that now it would offer a fitting
response. [The official bill is the Enhanced Partnership Act with Pakistan Bill
of 2009]. According to Clinton, Pakistan's media is full of exaggeration and
doesn't present the facts. That's laughable considering how every line of the aforementioned
bill has been discussed ad infinitum to the point that there was no room for exaggeration left - something Kerry himself reiterated when he last visited
Islamabad.
Unfortunately, it is the media
in the U.S. that has targeted Pakistan and its nuclear assets, at every opportunity offering
fanciful claims and insinuations far removed from reality.
But Clinton's attack on Pakistan's media shouldn't be ignored because it involves
a veiled threat as well as an overt insult. Considering how hard this nation's press has
fought and sacrificed for its independence, including in terms of lives lost,
this is something we shouldn't tolerate.
Clinton is scheduled to visit
Islamabad soon. The press should at least use the occasion to make its views on
her derogatory remarks clear. Meanwhile, Clinton's outburst should be regarded
as the start of a new phase of direct intrusion into our affairs. This is a result
of the Kerry-Lugar bill and other agreements this government and its
predecessor have conceded to.
A far more serious threat
that has become more visible is the physical access the U.S. has gained near
Pakistan's most sensitive installations, including its nuclear facilities. The
case of Sihala is one such instance - and we are at a loss to understand why
the government, now that the issue has been revealed, continues to allow this
unwarranted U.S. access.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
At the same time, it was
disturbing to find that the Interior Ministry awarded import licenses to the U.S.
for the importation of weapons into the country without following proper procedure.
Now that same Ministry is lowering the boom on the Pakistani commandant of the Sihala
Academy for telling the truth and voicing his concerns as a Pakistani nationalist,
rather than addressing U.S. antics in America's Sihala enclave and removing its
presence from this sensitive area.
In a connected issue, the Ministry
is also trying to put a stop to cases against Inter-Risk
and DynCorp,
and it refuses to admit the presence in Pakistan of Xe Worldwide (formerly Blackwater)
despite glaring evidence that they are here. By all accounts, the Interior Ministry
seems extremely sensitive about safeguarding U.S. interests - even at the
expense of Pakistan's. Why?
[Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US October 25, 8:55pm]