Why Gavril Princip Matters
"President Musharraf, he's still tight with us on the war against terror, and that's what I appreciate. He's a—he understands that we've got to keep al-Qaida on the run, and that by keeping him on the run, it's more likely we will bring him to justice."—Ruch, Ore., Aug. 22, 2002 (from The Complete Bushisms)
“The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved. A third war between these countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan seceding and becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. A dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998.” —The CIA World Factbook
The biggest break in the war on terror came before it started. On October 12, 1999, General Pervez Musharraf used a failure in the runway lights at the airport where his plane was landing as an excuse for a “bloodless coup.” In a country that is 77% Sunni Muslim and has somewhere between 30 and 50 nukes, it’s nice to have a secular military man firmly in charge. It would be a shame if those nukes fell into the wrong hands.
Pakistan was also a handy staging area for the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, with Musharraf’s complete cooperation (though you have to wonder if he’s doing a “nobody in here but us chickens” bit regarding the whereabouts of Osama bin-what’s his name, but then expediency is the common language of all politicians).
In recent weeks, he’s survived two assassination attempts, prompting the US to upsize security for “my man” Pervez. At the same time, news has been strategically leaked that the nuclear trail of “programs” in Libya, Iran, and North Korea leads back to Pakistan.
Sounds dangerous. Let me ratchet the tension up with one of my pet conspiracy theories. If you suspect, as I do, that the September 9, 2001, al Qaeda assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud in Afghanistan doubled as a signal for the WTC attacks two days later, then you’ll agree that this latest Code Orange is probably not bullshit. Say, did you ever notice that “unclear” is just dyslexic for “nuclear?” That’s why I hate to use them both in the same sentence.
Too bad Poindexter’s carrion-anticipating Futures market idea didn’t have the tread to grip the road. The odds seem pretty good that someone will use a nuclear weapon this year. Might be us; might be them. Doesn’t matter, just place your bet and make a killing, even though you may have to spend it all on potassium iodide (I suggest this brand, “proven at Chernobyl!”).
9:17:16 AM 
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