Saturday, February 23, 2008

Pakistan Bananastan

Pakistan, it appears, has replaced Afghanistan as the world's top Bananastan.

You may remember "Afghanistan bananastan" from the 1972 film The Hot Rock, in which thief Robert Redford uses the phrase to put vault guards into a hypnotic trance. Today, a "Bananastan" is (largely by my decree) a South Asian equivalent of a South American Banana Republic. Don't confuse a Bananastan with a Bananaraq, which is a Southwest Asian Banana Republic, or with the Barbecue Republic, which is the United States.

Like a Banana Republic, Pakistan is rife with corruption and has been ruled of late by a puppet (albeit an often uncooperative puppet) of the Barbecue Republic who has run roughshod over his country's constitution and judicial system; which, come to think of it, makes the Bananastan a lot like the Barbecue Republic, too. In many ways, in fact, Pakistan objectifies all that has failed in American foreign policy, and in America itself, over the past seven years and change.

Worst Laid Plans

Preserving and spreading democracy has been the central aim of U.S. foreign policy since Woodrow Wilson was in office. The current administration has taken less than a decade to sabotage the efforts of generations.

Recent elections in the Middle East have transformed terrorist outfits like Hezbollah (Lebanon), Hamas (Palestine) and the Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt) into legitimate political parties. No one can readily predict how soon we'll manage to extract ourselves, if ever, from the quagmire all those purple fingers created in Iraq. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the latest Rovewellian reincarnation of Hitler who's president of the "single greatest challenge" to our security, was duly elected to office. And now, the peace loving people of our new top Bananastan have voted their tinhorn's political party out of power, and there's talk among the victors about impeaching the tinhorn. (Did I tell you the Bananastan looks a lot like the Barbecue Republic or what?)

The Bananastan also illustrates the haplessness of the Barbecue Republic's attempts at controlling nuclear weapons proliferation. Pakistan, not Iraq or Iran or even North Korea, is the country most likely to let a nuke creep into the hands of terrorists.

A year ago, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell confessed that our Bananastan is the sanctuary of the tallest Arab ever wanted dead or alive by a U.S. president. Clear back in 2003, former Indian general and terrorism expert K.P.S. Gill said that not only was bin Laden holed up in Pakistan, but that members of Pakistani intelligence knew where he was. Dr. Ajai Sahni, another Indian authority on terrorism, said that the Pakistani army and intelligence service actively facilitated bin Laden's relocation from Afghanistan to Pakistan.

That could explain why the CIA opted to ask forgiveness rather than permission from the Pakistani government for its latest spy-fly-die mission against an al Qaeda operative in that country.

The Spy Who Snuffed Me

On January 29, the CIA killed al Qaeda Leader Abu Laith al-Libi in the Pakastini town of Mir Ali. A "knowledgeable Western official" told CNN that al Libi was "'not far below the importance of the top two al Qaeda leaders'—Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri." The story barely broke the radar horizon. Perhaps we've grown so inured to hearing about al Qaeda number two men meeting instant justice by now that when the target is "below the importance" of a number two, nobody could give a number two less.

As Joby Warrick and Robin Wright of the Washington Post tell the story, the CIA used a "variety of surveillance techniques" to track al Libi to the home of a local Taliban commander. A Predator drone aircraft was flown over the site. Two Hellfire missiles left the Predator and tore into the compound, destroying the main building and the gatehouse, and killing up to 13 inhabitants. Unnamed officials told the Post that the CIA conducted the strike without obtaining the Pakistani government's permission beforehand. Wright and Warrick say reaction to the strike from U.S. and Pakistani leaders has been "muted" because neither side is eager to call attention to an awkward situation.

But there's something a darn sight more awkward about this situation than whether or not the Pakistanis gave prior permission for the operation. Let's make something very clear: foreign governments don't order U.S. forces into combat. The U.S. government does that, and in theory, we have rules about who exactly in the U.S. government is authorized to do it.

Bananastan Shenanigan

A former intelligence officer involved with previous strikes in Pakistan said "In the past, it required getting approval from the highest levels." This time, the drone operators, situated half a world away at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, released the missiles "On orders from CIA officials in McLean [Virginia]."

The "Standing Rules of Engagement for U.S. Forces" defines this and other sorts of offensive operations as acts of national defense, things normally approved of by, at minimum, the four-star officer in charge of the geographic area of responsibility. This strike occurred in Central Command, and it sounds like CENTCOM chief Admiral William Fallon got cut out of the loop.

We can plausibly speculate that the CIA acts as hit man on these missions in order to work around the military chain of command. One can even reasonably argue that the time critical nature of this kind of operation demands a streamlined chain of command. But this is not Spy vs. Spy shtick where we slip the evildoer a designer drug that makes his beard fall out. These are air strikes, overt military operations, something that Congress is supposed to have a say in.

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 allows a president to "introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities" for a maximum of 90 days without a declaration of war or a "specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces" from Congress. Mr. Bush had an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) from Congress to invade Iraq. He doesn't have one for Pakistan.

If we want to take an argument for the legality of the Pakistan strikes to the sublime level, we might say that the CIA does not, per se, constitute a "United States Armed Force," and therefore its actions aren't covered by the War Powers Resolution. But how, then, do we justify the Bananastan style shenanigans that have been going on in Somalia? There, we have conducted air strikes not just against al Qaeda "compounds," but against entire villages, and not just with CIA drones carrying a pair of relatively small missiles, but with U.S. Air Force AC-130 gun ships that can rip a town into smithereens in a lot less time than it takes a subsidiary of Halliburton to rebuild one. And there's no AUMF for Somalia either.

If we argue that the Somali strikes are sanctioned by the "blank check" permissions of the AUMF of September 18, 2001 that authorized Mr. Bush "to use all necessary and appropriate force" against anyone or anything that might have had a connection with 9/11 or might ever conceivably be involved with a terrorist plot against the U.S. , then we have a president who can initiate wars whenever and wherever he wants without approval from any other branch of government.

That, fellow citizens, is one of the top three characteristics of a Barbecue Republic. The other two are the executive's ability to a) disappear the Bill of Rights and b) place covert propaganda and disinformation in the domestic media without fear of censure or penalty.

Welcome to your Brave New World Order.

#

Jeff's novel Bathtub Admirals (Kunati Books, ISBN: 9781601640192) will be available April 1, 2008.
"…a witty, wacky, wildly outrageous novel that skewers just about anything you’d care to name, from military budgets to political machinations to America’s success as the self-appointed guardian of the world…a remarkably accomplished book, striking just the right balance between ridicule and insight." —Booklist

16 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:47 PM

    In the Predator, this government has a method of death-dealing that lies out of reach of any reliable oversight. If they can use it overseas, what do you think will prevent them from using it in the United States? Now there's a question to keep you awake for a few nights.

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  2. Anonymous6:03 PM

    Jeg, if memory serves me right, Waco was about "death-dealing without any reliable oversight" within the US. This was under Hillary's spouse in the great state of Texas. Mr. Bush went to no great lengths to investigate the deaths and obtain justice for the victims when he became governor, which should have told us something.

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  3. Jeg,

    I'm not sure they'd bomb your house with a drone, but they'd sure peek through you windows with one. ;-)

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  4. Anonymous11:03 AM

    Oh heck, they already do -- peek through the windows, read the e-mail, listen to the phone calls, open the snail mail.

    Whatever they want to do in the name of "national security" they do.

    Commander,

    You obviously haven't seen the NY tabloids?

    According to the Drudge Report, and now legitimized by the so-called MSM, like the NY Daily News, in full front page splendor, The tallest "Arab looking" guy around, dressed in suitable Muslim regalia, is running as a Democrat for President of these Yewnited States.
    The other guy -- I guess is still taking his dialisys treatments in the cave, in the mountains, in the country of one of our favorite nuclear allies. (this week, anyway.)

    I look at the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) the MCA of 2006, (Military Commissions Act) NSPD-51 (National Security Presidential Directive-51) and add to all that HR.1955.

    "What could the government be contemplating that leads it to make contingency plans to detain, without recourse, millions of its own citizens." ....San Francisco Chronicle, 2/15/2008.

    And, I'm left asking myself: Self, to whom should all that unlimited executive power pass?

    Actually, I don't think it should be passed to anybody.

    However, Congress is to busy investigating baseball players to hold hearings on any of this.

    (Off topic...

    I hope your sick canine friend is well. My vet provided me with info on pet health insurance, as offered by the ASPCA. My hurricane refugee's doctor bills, usually exceed my own. But, she's worth every penny... err... dollar.)

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  5. Anonymous,

    The problem I have with health insurance for my dogs is that two of them now have pre-existing conditions.

    Jeff

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  6. It is indeed very hopeful that Obama is interested in the measured thinking of a man like Brzezinski. It is time to abandon the "Holy Crusade" foreign policy of the present and return to a foreign policy based on real national interest and rationally calculated means to obtain and sustain those interests.

    Obama went big here in Washington primarily because of a well-organized push by his campaign to turn out college students and similarly situated individuals to attend the caucuses. Paul also had a similar strategy (on a smaller scale) and nailed more than 1/5 of the delegates on the Republican side.

    I just hope Obama is ready for the Republican smear machine (and ready to be out-spent on media 3 to 1). One matter that has always made be a little uncomfortable about Obama is that he has no readily apparent skeletons. I hope that remains so.

    Meanwhile, Huckabee is looking to be the Republican vice-presidential nominee. There's been a noticeable toning down of the rhetoric with respect to McCain and Huckabee. Usually, such courtship has a purpose.

    We shall see ...

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  7. Weird! Somehow, everything topical I wrote was replaced with this old stuff on posting. Please delete and accept my apologies while I beat Vista senseless . . .

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  8. No, John, that's unforgivable! ;-0

    When you get done breaking Vista's legs, come back and let us know what you were trying to say in the first place.

    Looking forward to it,

    Jeff

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  9. Anonymous3:51 PM

    Unmanned drones are already being used in testing by police forces in Houston and Miami-Dade. Although not Predators, as I understand it, the Honeywell-manufactured models in use for US civilian surveillance are also being manufactured for the military (albeit according to different specifications).

    Thought you and your readers might be interested to know.

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  10. RK,

    Thanks for the info.

    J

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  11. Anonymous11:36 AM

    Welcome to Philip K. Dick's future vision of America. I'm not an isolationist by any means, but come on, it's time to start focusing on America. Let's get out of Iraq, use the money towards a national health care system, let's start making America better.

    -23 and jaded

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  12. Anonymous,

    Like Thomas Jefferson, I consider skepticism to be the first among virtues. So be thankful you've become jaded at a young age. The virtue will help you immensely throughout life. ;-)

    Jeff

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  13. Anonymous11:34 AM

    Isn't Feb 29 tomorrow ?

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  14. Yeah, Feb 29 is tomorrow. They killed the guy on Jan. 29. Thanks for the catch.

    Jeff

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  15. Sir,

    Just stumbled on your blog. My father served on your old ship, the Roosevelt. I have to say, from a career officer, even retired, this sort of honest and insightful commentary has left me thoroughly impressed. You have my admiration and deepest respect.

    I'll be back.

    SPC Freeman, US Army

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  16. Specialist Freeman,

    Thanks for the nice words. When did your dad serve on TR?

    ReplyDelete