Benazir Bhutto is No Fallen Angel

I find the media’s constant veneration of Bhutto as some sort of demi-god quite biased and puzzling at the same time. Of course, the manner in which she and other civilians were killed should be condemened, but have we forgotten that this woman was charged of corruption not once but twice during her tenure as prime minister? Have we forgotten that the Taliban regime was at its peak in Afghanistan during her reign in office? Have we forgotten that in 2006, Interpol issued a request for arrest of Bhutto and her husband Asif “Mr. 10 per cent” Zardari who were involved in money laundering scams in several different countries? So much for her being the “beacon of democracy” and an example of “enlightened moderation”.

Pakistanis were not happy when Musharraf dropped corruption cases against Bhutto during the US-brokered power-sharing negotiations. The first assassination attempt on her in Karachi was a reflection of that frustration. The people of Pakistan are also tired of the same tried and tested failures who are trying to catapult themselves into power, because they realize that a corrupt democracy is worse than a dictatorship.

Let us not fall prey to personality politics and for a minute try to look beyond the articulant, charismatic persona and consider the reality of the situation. Benazir Bhutto was obsessed with gaining power for her own interests and had robbed the nation at the expense of her own people.

Annapolis peace talks nothing but a PR stunt

Hosting so-called “peace talks” between the Palestinians and Israelis without the presence of Palestine’s democratically elected government and the Iranians are failed negotiations from the start. Washington has been unsuccessful in trying to isolate Hamas, whether politically or by arming the US/Israel-friendly Fatah against it. Now it continues this useless charade by trying to negotiate peace without involving Palestine’s elected government.

The US has also decided to ignore another key player in the region, namely Iran. Iran has historically had major influence with groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and it needs to be on the negotiating table if peace is to be sought. If the US were serious about peace, one would think the leadership would put aside all differences and include all parties – that is what serious negotiation entails. However, a fair peace is the last thing the Jewish lobby and right-wing neoconservatives would want. It is obvious that these talks are nothing more than a public relations exercise from an American perspective amid the continuing carnage in Iraq and the fledgling war in Afghanistan.