GWB and his cronies have no interest in democracy. Iran is more of a democracy than Pakistan. His interest is in controlling people and events through whatever political system happens to be in place. We have no friends in Pakistan beyond the ruling elite [nor in Saudi Arabia, etc.] and that is not a good thing . . . Pakistan having nuclear weapons and delivery systems.

I do not want my tax dollars going to support a government that oppresses its own people. I thought we were fighting to support freedom and democracy in the Middle East?

Your tax dollars rarely go to support democracy (the brand taught in American civics classes) anywhere, Carole.

Look up Clinton's role in supporting Peru's Fujimori or Kazakhstan's Nazarbayev or East Timor's Suharto... it's not stuff that makes the news.

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"Respect mah authoritah!" - Fred Cartman Thompson

But, our Secretary of State Condi Rice now says that all aid to Pakistan is under review. Boy, that makes me get that bend over and grab your ankles feeling, because here it comes again.

I don't know much about the situation there, but Pakistan has always seemed like a powder keg with a lit fuse.

Musharraf is probably preferable to someone like Ahmadinejad. He at least seems like more of a benevolent military dictator when he's not suspending their constitution and shutting down TV stations. From what little I know, he's been walking a tightrope trying to keep the Islamic militants happy on one side and his Western allies happy on the other while trying to stay out of a nuclear war with India.

I just hope this current situaion doesn't ignite the powder keg.

Mr. Neal, you mention Musharraf walking a tightrope to keep the militants and the US happy. Remember what Jim Hightower said and its implications: "The only things in the middle of the road are yellow stripes and dead armadillos."