Jonathan Moyo NOW that the Zimbabwean crisis has undeniably reached its tipping point with catastrophic failure looming on the horizon as everything for everyone everywhere across the country begins to rot or collapse beyond repair, it is alarming to observe that President Robert Mugabe remains doggedly in hot pursuit of a reckless three-pronged strategy to keep himself in power beyond 2008 without having to face the electorate ever again. The components of this creepy strategy are the reshuffled deadwood cabinet announced this week, the impossible social contract proposed last week by the governor of the Reserve Bank and the sinister proposal to harmonise presidential and parliamentary elections in 2010 under the laughable pretext of cutting administrative costs.
Mugabe's latest futile attempt to impose a sinister extension of his now unwanted rule came last week on Wednesday at the first meeting in 2007 of the Zanu PF politburo. While the meeting reaffirmed the Goromonzi position that the 2010 proposal should be sent back to the ruling party's provincial structures where it faces certain death, the fact that Mugabe continues to single-mindedly push for the widely unpopular proposal poses a dangerous threat to national security, political stability and economic recovery efforts given that he is now a dangerous dying horse whose last kicks could be fatal to the nation if left unchecked.
#4
To: Bob_Mugabe@hotmail.com
From: Dr. Frank Enstein, Eternal Youth Corp.
Dear Sir,
From your recent inquiry on our website, we see that you have an interest in purchasing one (1) "Platinum Life Rejuvanation Process", which we offer at the special introductory price of USD 26,000,310.38.
Unfortunately, we cannot extend credit based on the collateral of your nation, which due to its recent economic downturn is now valued at less that USD llM.
And under no circumstances will we take "the immortal souls of ten thousand sacrificial victims", and are rather taken aback that you would even suggest such a thing.
Given your current financial circumstances, the best we might recommend to you is a bottle of shoe polish for your hair, a Viagra prescription for your "problem", and to lead as stress-free a life as possible until you are brutally killed and descend to a richly deserved afterlife in Hell.
Sincerely,
Dr. Frank Enstein,
Chief Researcher, Eternal Youth Corp.
THE on-going efforts at reforming higher education are turning into a disaster. Billions are being spent on mindless mega projects. The 15-fold increase in the funding of Pakistani universities over the last six years may have delivered a marginal improvement, but it is superficial and likely to be temporary.
These facts are the subject of a researched article, In Pakistan, the Problems That Money Can Bring, published in the January 2007 issue of the well-respected New York based Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle notes that in Pakistan the failure of the HEC (Higher Education Commission) to create and adequately implement rules has caused an explosion of substandard universities, fake and substandard degrees, meaningless research publications and a massive wave of unpunished plagiarised academic papers.
More grand folly is in the works. Among the governments most expensive projects are the nine new engineering universities to be spread across the country. Officially associated with France, Sweden, Italy, Austria, Germany, Japan, as well as other countries, these universities are supposed to meet the acute shortage in Pakistan of international quality engineering education. Contrary to the general impression that these are foreign funded, in fact 100 per cent of the development, recurrent and salary costs will be paid for by Pakistan. This would be okay if the basic ingredients for success were there. They are not.
By Kanchan Laxman - Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management
The latest "out of the box" solution from Pakistan is not just a ruse to secure the leverage which the ISI needs to reintroduce full-scale terrorism in J&K, but also an ill-concealed move to attract international intervention
A great amount of excitement is generated whenever Pakistan comes up with a "latest formula" or "out of the box" solution to the Kashmir issue. However, these have always been mere continuation of Islamabad's strategy to secure at the negotiating table what it has been unable to do through 17 years of terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
For Pakistan, the peace process is only a tactical option. It continues to selectively support terrorism directed against India even as it negotiates. There is clear evidence that Pakistan's intent with regard to India has not undergone any significant transformation. This is demonstrated by the fact that 1,116 people died in cross-border terrorism in J&K and 270 people died in Islamist terrorist violence in locations outside the State and the North-East during 2006.
For the first time, one of Iraq's principal insurgent groups has set out the terms of a ceasefire that would allow American and British forces to leave the country they invaded almost four years ago.
The present terms would be impossible for any US administration to meet - but the words of Abu Salih Al-Jeelani, one of the military leaders of the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Resistance Movement show that the groups which have taken more than 3,000 American lives are actively discussing the opening of contacts with the occupation army.
Al-Jeelani's group, which also calls itself the "20th Revolution Brigades'', is the military wing of the original insurgent organisation that began its fierce attacks on US forces shortly after the invasion of 2003. The statement is, therefore, of potentially great importance, although it clearly represents only the views of Sunni Muslim fighters.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
02/10/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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Top|| File under:
#1
Hmmm... the enemy is demanding we capitulate. They are willing to negotiate the terms under which we will be "allowed" to turn tail and run home from Iraq like frightened schoolchildren. Their demands are absurd, amounting essentially to the requirement that we disband the Iraqi government, abolish the constitution, nullify the elections, and turn Iraq over to the jihadists to govern as they wish.
Yet to Robert Fisk, this is GREAT news: peace is at hand! Or at least it could be, if only Bush and his stubborn Neo-cons weren't too pig-headed to accept this wonderful offer...
I'm convinced now: liberalism is a mental disorder. It's the only explanation.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
02/10/2007 8:19 Comments ||
Top||
#2
For the first time, one of Iraq's principal insurgent groups has set out the terms of a ceasefire that would allow American and British forces to leave the country
It's only one of the groups of bad guys.
It's a hudna, not a peace.
In other words, in return for abject surrender, some of the bad guys will stop trying to kill us for possibly as long as ten years. No guarantee what the others will do... or will demand to stop doing it for a while.
Goody. Break out the champagne, Mr. Fisk found us something not worth celebrating in the very first line of his article, and never even noticed.
#4
Jeez, Fisky. Could also be that your heroes are sick of getting their asses kicked and want out?
Didn't see that mentioned in your list of theories.
And that's based on the premise that your story isn't all total bullshit, which is a distinct possibility...
#5
No concessions , no retreat , no pieces of white paper , no negotiations , no nothing apart from the total extermination of each and every one of these vile groups will satisfy me . Even that isnt enough unfortunately ....
#6
Since Fisk seems to have little or no trouble wandering in the wilderness and finding these idiots to talk to, why can't we have a special unit assigned to follow him around and then target the cells for eradication (preferably with a couple 500 pounders)?
#7
The BBC recently had a segment on the Sunni insurgents arguing amopng themselves whether to negotiate with the Americans.
It all came down to "The Shia are creaming us. Maybe the US can save us!"
In typical Arab fashion, they couldn't decide anything, and practically all the guys at the meeting got picked up by the Tater Tots.
Karma is a bitch.
OT
Why are Shia killers called death quads and Sunni killers called insurgents? Why not call them Sunni death squads, which would also be more accurate?
Al
Posted by: frozen Al ||
02/10/2007 12:19 Comments ||
Top||
#8
Although the image & idea of Fisk getting the s**t stomped out of him warms my heart, methinks the graphic of the "Quisling's Noose" postage stamp might be more appropriate...
Posted by: RIcky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
02/10/2007 16:56 Comments ||
Top||
#9
Why are Shia killers called death quads and Sunni killers called insurgents?
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NOW that the Zimbabwean crisis has undeniably reached its tipping point with catastrophic failure looming on the horizon as everything for everyone everywhere across the country begins to rot or collapse beyond repair, it is alarming to observe that President Robert Mugabe remains doggedly in hot pursuit of a reckless three-pronged strategy to keep himself in power beyond 2008 without having to face the electorate ever again. The components of this creepy strategy are the reshuffled deadwood cabinet announced this week, the impossible social contract proposed last week by the governor of the Reserve Bank and the sinister proposal to harmonise presidential and parliamentary elections in 2010 under the laughable pretext of cutting administrative costs.
For the first time, one of Iraq's principal insurgent groups has set out the terms of a ceasefire that would allow American and British forces to leave the country they invaded almost four years ago. 
