Remembering 9/11 While Condemning America
Friday, September 12th, 2008
Campaign politics came to a halt yesterday as Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama both attended ceremonies at the pit where the World Trade Center proudly stood as a symbol of the American free enterprise system prior to September 11, 2001. Families of victims and dignitaries gathered in Arlington, Virginia in the morning to dedicate a memorial to those who perished in the attack on the Pentagon that day. Others visited the temporary memorial at the crash site of United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania where valiant Americans charged armed hijackers and thwarted their attack on the United States Capitol. Nearly all Americans regardless of political persuasions honored those who died on that horrible day seven years ago. (more…)
Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan on October 18th of this year greeted by welcoming crowds of political supporters estimated to reach 200,000. Her procession in a staged rally for her homecoming was attacked by a suicide bomber killing 140 of her supporters but missing Benazir. She would not be so fortunate this last Thursday when she was assassinated with another 20 supporters dying from the bomb blast little two months after her triumphant return. 
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf dealt a fatal blow to the legitimacy of his government Saturday by declaring a state of emergency and suspending the constitution. Outlawed is anything disrespectful to the head of state, the military, the judiciary or the legislature. Reports showing terrorist acts or their victims by the media has been banned as well as any statements by Islamic militants. The United States and other Western Democracies have repeatedly warned Musharraf against such desperate acts taken to bolster his beleaguered regime. 
A truce that had existed between Pakistan’s Army and the Taliban has been stretched by recent events, including the kidnapping of Korean missionaries that brought international pressure on Musharraf’s government. But the truce was shattered recntly when Taliban fighters ambushed a military convoy and took 100 soldiers hostage. In the interim, some 250 casualties have resulted from the military reprisals which included artiliry barrages and airstrikes. The incident is the highest level of conflict between the military and insurgents since 2004.