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Afghanistan/South Asia
Musharraf put on 'worst dictators' list
2005-02-13
Parade, a weekly magazine, has included President Pervez Musharraf among the "world's 10 worst dictators", a listing it published last year as well.
Well, that's certainly an authoritative source...
Parade, which gets distributed with every newspaper delivered to an American home or sold on the street or at a newsstand at weekends, says about the Pakistani leader, "Two years after seizing power in a military coup that overthrew an elected government, Gen Pervez Musharraf appointed himself President of Pakistan. He recently agreed to step down as head of the military, then reversed the decision, claiming that he was best suited to unite Pakistan's contentious political and military elements. 'The country is more important than democracy,' he said. Pakistan has endangered the world by spreading nuclear technology. Last year, it was discovered that Abdul Qadeer Khan, head of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, has been selling nuclear technology to North Korea, Libya and Iran. As for civil liberties in Pakistan, a woman who has been raped may present her case only if she can produce four Muslim men who witnessed the attack."

Others on the list are: Kim Jong Il of North Korea, Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Than Shwe of Myanmar, Hu Jintao of China, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Teodoro Obiang Nuguema of Equatorial Guinea.

Two who were on the list last year — Fidel Castro of Cuba and King Mswati III of Swaziland — have failed to "make the grade" this year. President Musharraf was not on the list last year. The No 1 dictator on the list is Kim Jong II. "Dishonourable Mentions" this year include Lexander Lukashenko of Belarus. The Parade list was compiled in consultation with Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International, and Reporters Without Borders. Parade's contributing editor, David Wallechinsky, who put the list together will soon be publishing a book entitled 'Tyrants: the world's 20 worst living dictators'.
Posted by:Fred

#20  Musharaf we deal with because we slept through the 1990's. Bills come due - and this is how we are paying the bill for ignoring Afghanistan [where Pakisatan set up the Taliban] (except for a few cruise missles) and Pakistan in the 90's.

Yes its ugly, but its what we have to do, at least for now.
Posted by: OldSpook   2005-02-13 9:59:42 PM  

#19   #6 Perv may not belong among the 10 Worst Dictators but he is certainly among the 10 Best Dressed Dictators. Very smart uniform. I can't wait to see Joan & Melissa Rivers interview him on the red carpet at this year's Dickie Awards.
THIS POSTER MUST BE FROM A BANANA REPUBLIC
Posted by: NUKE ISZRA   2005-02-13 3:35:34 AM  

#18  Musharaf we deal with because we slept through the 1990's. Bills come due - and this is how we are paying the bill for ignoring Afghanistan [where Pakisatan set up the Taliban] (except for a few cruise missles) and Pakistan in the 90's.

Yes its ugly, but its what we have to do, at least for now.
Posted by: OldSpook   2005-02-13 9:59:42 PM  

#17  Musharaf we deal with because we slept through the 1990's. Bills come due - and this is how we are paying the bill for ignoring Afghanistan [where Pakisatan set up the Taliban] (except for a few cruise missles) and Pakistan in the 90's.

Yes its ugly, but its what we have to do, at least for now.
Posted by: OldSpook   2005-02-13 9:59:42 PM  

#16  With Musharaf we had to make a deal with the devil in order to get into Afghanistan. We also have to have enough "in" with somebody in charge in order to have a handle on Pakistani nukes so they do not fall into the hands if Jihadi nutcases. Musharaf is a scumbag, but we have to deal with him. The alternatives are pretty bleak. Kinda like rollerskating in a gravel pit. It ain't too pretty a process.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2005-02-13 6:47:53 PM  

#15  Keepin it real bro! Stay to the right of the yeller line and no one will be wizer.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-02-13 4:51:23 PM  

#14  Musharaf is a lying scumbag. Three months after attending a sham "peace" summit with India, he launched a surprise attack on the mountain regions of the Indian province of Kashmir. He labeled the nuclear proliferator, Khan (who was hand delivered nuclear information from Paki employees of the Atomic Energy Commission and other foreign agencies) a "state hero," and did nothing when Khan delivered WMD technology to North Korea and the Persian Islamofascist entity. Mushy's Pakistan Muslim League party slavishly shares power with the terrorist' Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal in Punjabi occupied Balochistan, and jointly carried out a moment of silence in the provincial assembly when a Paki terrorist was justly executed for slaughtering 2 CIA employees on American soil. The US-Paki alliance is an insult to American dead. Its time to finance Sindhi, Balochi independence movements to enable them to break free from the Punjabi terrorist entity.
Posted by: IToldYouSo   2005-02-13 3:51:06 PM  

#13  So when does the Parade list of the 10 Best Dictators come out?
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2005-02-13 2:26:43 PM  

#12  But he sure does have a lot of "Good Conduct Medals"

Reminds me of the old Bill Maudlin cartoon were the "garitrooper" is telling Willy andd Joe all about his decorations.
Posted by: Cheaderhead   2005-02-13 12:06:05 PM  

#11  Man them Izras are bad dudes, lotsa iron, gats and such liker them there. Nukes too I hear.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-02-13 10:28:26 AM  

#10  Is there a "best" dictators list???
Posted by: Snump Huperesing6112   2005-02-13 10:13:33 AM  

#9  But, but, but....I thought Bush was the worst dictator...ain't he like Hitler?
Posted by: Jack is Back!   2005-02-13 9:54:26 AM  

#8  Got an IP / Country on this clown? Lol!
Posted by: .com   2005-02-13 3:39:21 AM  

#7  [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]
Posted by: NUKE ISZRA TROLL   2005-02-13 3:35:34 AM  

#6  Perv may not belong among the 10 Worst Dictators but he is certainly among the 10 Best Dressed Dictators. Very smart uniform.

I can't wait to see Joan & Melissa Rivers interview him on the red carpet at this year's Dickie Awards.
Posted by: JDB   2005-02-13 3:28:56 AM  

#5  credibility drain
Posted by: 2b   2005-02-13 2:55:07 AM  

#4  I'm surprised they didn't list Bush.
Posted by: .com   2005-02-13 2:30:13 AM  

#3  I'm surprised Parade didn't apologize to Castro for last year's listing.
Posted by: Steve White   2005-02-13 1:13:02 AM  

#2  Given who the consultants are, is anyone surprised?
Posted by: Pappy   2005-02-13 12:57:02 AM  

#1  Hu Jintao, Prince Abdullah and Pervez Musharraf are worse than Cuba's Castro and Venezuela's Chavez? You gotta love it.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2005-02-13 12:41:38 AM  

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