Can Pakistan return from the brink?
Pakistan's Supreme Court is clearing the last obstacles to confirming the re-election of President Pervez Musharraf. But Musharraf has to go if Pakistan is to be saved, said The Washington Post. The U.S. tried acting as "marriage broker" between
What happened
Pakistan’s Supreme Court, packed with allies of President Pervez Musharraf, dismissed most of the challenges to Musharraf’s re-election Monday. Musharraf has promised to resign as army chief once his election is confirmed. He also promised to hold parliamentary elections in January, although opposition leaders said the voting wouldn’t be fair unless he lifted emergency rule. (The New York Times, free registration)
What the commentators said
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Musharraf has to go if Pakistan is to be saved, said The Washington Post in an editorial (free registration). Every big step he has taken recently “has been aimed at preserving his hold on power, at the expense of his country.” The Bush administration should realize that its best interest lies in siding with democratic forces in Pakistan, not in propping up a ruler the people don’t want.
The U.S. tried serving as “a marriage broker” between Musharraf and the opposition, said H.D.S. Greenway in The Boston Globe (free registration), but that was “spectacularly unsuccessful.” The U.S. got Musharraf to drop corruption charges against opposition politician Benazir Bhutto so she could return from exile. Musharraf promptly put his “bartered bride” under house arrest, making a “failed prime minister” look like a hero of democracy.
Now Washington is gambling on a new policy, said The Dallas Morning News in an editorial. The U.S. military is going to try to enlist “religiously conservative tribesmen” in northern Pakistan to fight Taliban and al Qaida fighters near the Afghan border. The strategy worked in Iraq, where Sunni tribesmen have helped fight al Qaida, but “adding guns to an already volatile mix is a risky way to pull Pakistan back from the brink.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
feature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
By The Week US Published
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto Knights
Feature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
By The Week US Published
-
Bombs or talks: What’s next in the US-Iran showdown?
Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published