Biden Pakistan, Joe Biden, pakistan democracy, pakistan elections, Pakistan opposition, warwire
Biden Pakistan, Joe Biden, pakistan democracy, pakistan elections, Pakistan opposition, warwire

Biden Warns Pakistan on Elections

STEPHEN GRAHAM | February 17, 2008 07:02 PM EST | AP

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LAHORE, Pakistan — Sen. Joseph Biden urged Pakistani authorities to ensure that Monday's parliamentary elections are free and fair, warning that the country could face greater instability if the vote is rigged.

"Without an open election that gains the confidence of the vast majority of the middle class here there will be great turmoil," Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in Lahore on Sunday.

Biden, along with Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., will observe the polling Monday and meet political leaders in Lahore, the hub of Pakistani politics.

Pakistanis will choose a new parliament in the elections, which were delayed six weeks after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on Dec. 27. The elections could determine the political survival of President Pervez Musharraf, who is America's key ally in the war on terror.

Biden, D-Del., said a more democratic government would help Pakistan combat spreading Islamic extremism and suggested Washington should reduce its reliance on Musharraf. The Bush administration has promoted Musharraf as a moderate leader capable of holding together the nuclear-armed country.

"I do not buy into the argument that the only person who has the capacity to help in dealing with terrorism is Musharraf," Biden said.

He said the United States should cut military aid to Pakistan if the elections are rigged. But if it turns out to be credible, the U.S. should reward Pakistan with a "democracy dividend" that triples its economic aid to the Asian country to $1.5 billion, he said.

Biden said he was "mildly optimistic" that the vote will be fair. However, he said the Pakistani military "has to know there is a price to pay for failure to support democratic institutions."

The U.S. delegation is scheduled to travel to Afghanistan and India after Pakistan.

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Since Senators Biden, Kerry, and Hagel failed to speak about this, here is the Troubledgoodangel advice to Pakistan: the class sentiment is killing peace in Pakistan! The Taliban will never be defeated until the Pakistanis cease to treat the poorer members of society as inferior class! The wealthy Cubans tried this and they got Guevara and Castro! This abominable mentality, imported from India and England, today permeates the wealthier members of the Pakistani society like an incurable cancer. Every effort must be made, starting today, to nip this evil in the bud! Then the rest of the problems Pakistan has ever had will vanish as if by a magic wand!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:44 PM on 02/19/2008
- LizM I'm a Fan of LizM permalink

Don't you think Senator Biden spoke to this in his statement? He actually used the example of Iran instead of Cuba, but the point is the same.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:21 PM on 02/19/2008
- LizM I'm a Fan of LizM permalink

Senator Biden has released the following statement on Pakistan's elections and the future of US-Pakistani relations...

http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=293124&

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:26 PM on 02/19/2008

Why should Pakistan be any different than the United States. Bush rigged two elections here with the help of the Supremes. Does that mean we don't have to play any taxes at all?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:44 PM on 02/18/2008

I have a better idea: cut off aid to Pakistan and everyone else, including Israel. We are in no position to lecture other countries on honest elections, let alone make them a requirement for our foreign aid, an unconstitutional use of the tax payers' money to begin with (as if any of our income tax actually goes to something other than interest payments to a private banking cartel). Try waking up, America.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:33 PM on 02/18/2008

Pretty tough talk from someone who bent over and grabbed his ankles as KKKarl Rove stole two elections out from under him and his party.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:00 PM on 02/18/2008
- LizM I'm a Fan of LizM permalink

If those elections were stolen, as you suggest, then it was none other than the US electorate, and their incredible ability to vote against their own interests and that of their country, if they vote at all, who allowed those thefts to occur.

In other words, it may be time for a little personal responsiblity, for a change.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:21 PM on 02/18/2008
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Especially since the Dallas Morning News yesterday printed an article saying they put spies in the bushie presence, and nuclear secrets were funneled to terrorists:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-sibeledmonds_17edi.ART.State.Edition1.45b446a.html

How can we be fighting terrorists and giving them nuclear secrets at the same time?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:06 AM on 02/18/2008
- Ping I'm a Fan of Ping permalink

It's stupid ideas and a fat mouth that got Biden no delegates and 0% support in the Presidential Primaries. Biden needs to STFU.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:50 AM on 02/18/2008
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No , YOU DO!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:37 AM on 02/18/2008
- LizM I'm a Fan of LizM permalink

Actually, Ping...

I would strongly encourage you to take a look at Senator Biden's record of providing strong leadership - particularly in the realms of foreign policy, national security, and constitutional matters but also on the domestic front - and promotion of America's ideas and ideals, all in an effort to solve the great challenges of our time.

Senator Biden has dedicated his life to working toward keeping America safe, secure, and respected throughout the world. I would think you owe him at least a little more respect than you have displayed here.

You might just surprise yourself by what you learn - about and from Senator Biden - and discover a political leader that deserves your wholehearted support.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:38 AM on 02/18/2008

Karen Stabiner,

Your post is such 1970's fem malarkey. Obama did not commit some grievous insult to womankind by suggesting that hillary went on the attack when she felt down.

Your fem gain knob is set too high baby. Turn is down a little.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:00 AM on 02/18/2008

Go back to sleep, Joe. America has had two elections stolen, and all you Democrats do is stand around with your dicks in your hands.
Cindy Sheehan for Congress.
cindyforcongress.org
vote these do-nothing Democrats out.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:55 AM on 02/18/2008

For YankeeCanuck: If Biden was one of the first to recognize a problem with electronic voting machines, what has he done about it?

He voted against Sen. Boxer's challenge to the 2004 results. Has he said since, "You know, Barbara Boxer was right."???? No, he hasn't...even though it has become clear since 2004 that John Kerry really won the election.

To me, Biden's another guy who likes to stay "above the fray." He's a pure Washington type, one who protects his own skin while making an occasional provocative statement that he won't follow up on. Nothing Biden has said or done comes close to guaranteeing that the 2008 election won't be stolen. What will he say or do if that happens?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:16 AM on 02/18/2008
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Biden is surely NOT a Washington type. He has worked on serious issues like violence against women, election reform (got shot down twice on that) MRAPs for the troops in Iraq(see the developing inquiry on that travesty. And, be has worked to get the US to pass the convention against genocide.
Liz M and CindyK are pretty well-versed on his career. I don;t think you know the kind of legislator he is. Do not forget, he is only one person, chair of the foreign relations committee, and prodigiously knowledgeable about the middle east.
THe guy should run for President... oh yeh, the media ignored the real talent in this one.
Still some OK choices left. But none with the substance or authenticity of Biden.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:34 AM on 02/19/2008
- LizM I'm a Fan of LizM permalink

It always amazes me when people say that Biden is anything akin to the ultimate Washington insider when NOTHING could be further from the truth!

Oh, man! If Biden was a Washington insider he'd have been the presumptive Democratic nominee long before the official nomination process even began...long before IOWA!, that's for sure.

I often wonder, YC, how so many people around here can know so little about Senator Biden and be so off base - completely out of the ballpark, actually - on what they think they know!? I just don't get it and I guess I never will.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:05 AM on 02/19/2008
- LizM I'm a Fan of LizM permalink

It seems to me that, when President Bush can get as much support as he actually did in the 2004 elections, then you've got far bigger problems to deal with than challenging those election results...if you know what I mean!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:51 AM on 02/19/2008

Not a bad idea, Sen. Biden. Apply financial leverage against a country as a way to insure honest elections. I like it.

But tell me, sir, what leverage do American citizens have? Our last two presidential elections were stolen. Can we sue Pakistan for reparations? And, by the way...I don't recall any complaints from you about 2000 or 2004. Are you one of those establishmentarians who believes election fraud only exists overseas?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:39 AM on 02/18/2008

My sentiments exactly. So, I guess with this analogy, we could stop paying our taxes until we know our elections aren't rigged?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:56 AM on 02/18/2008
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Just a Note , Did You know that We have been Illegally forced to pay Income Tax for Years Now?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:48 AM on 02/18/2008
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it's time to stop throwing money at everybody around the world; it's time to take care of our own people. OH NO! that sounds like SOCIALISM.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:14 AM on 02/18/2008

Great response from the man who should be president rather than any of hte current candidates!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:35 AM on 02/18/2008

Geo,

Agreed that was a pretty good response. Too bad we couldn't have pursued an agenda aimed at peaceful co-existance between The US, Israel & the Middle East instead of this abortion Bush & Congress foisted on us.

Here's our strategy: Kill 'em till they cry uncle. Like the American Indian.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:25 AM on 02/18/2008
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Yeah ,Biden , Dodd & Richardson were the TRUE frontrunners & the ONLY Truly Qualified Candidates , Yet with the Medias Interference We ended up with Clinton , Obama & Edwards.
Go Figure.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:50 AM on 02/18/2008

why cut the aid it is chinese money send more. who cares. it is all on a credit card. let the grandkids pay for it.

now go shop till you drop with that irs refund.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:35 AM on 02/18/2008

Reasons to cut Pakistan's foreign aid:

If they build Nukes (they have)
If they sell Nuke tech to our enemies (they have)
If Osama bin Laden takes up residence, and they wont let us get him (he has, and they wont)
If the taliban use their country as a base of operations to attack afgahnistan (they do)
If nuclear scientists are kidnapped near where al queada reigns supreme and nothing is done (they have been)

Boy, those rigged elections seem REALLY important in comparison, don't they?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:44 AM on 02/18/2008

So what's your strategy? Isolation and sanctions? If you havn't noticed we are blowing $10 Bil/month down the drain in Iraq now. Any further destabilization would be a bad thing.

It takes a tough guy to lead a state like Pakistan. It ain't Iowa buddy. I have no problem with aid programs for Middle Eastern countries based on promoting freedom and democracy. Even knowing full well that things aren't exactly perfect at the present time.

Diplomacy and some money can go a long way. Terrorists hide out in Pakistan. Mushy is protecting them. We all know that. Do we topple his government too?

You could send a hundred billion to the region and still spend only a fraction of what we have already invested. You could have international peace and reconciliation teams.

It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it. Can you imagine if we put one tenth of the energy wasted on war into peace programs and goodwill? Why I'd venture you'd have those radical Islamics going to the mall more than the mosque in no time.

It's just like a criminal. He spends all that time and effort to break the law and go to jail. If he just turned his aims to legal ends.......

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:21 AM on 02/18/2008

No. We do not topple his government. We let his own people do that. But we could stop SUPPORTING it, and legitimizing his dictatorship.

More importantly, the border regions of pakistan are NOT under control of Musharraf, and in fact he has made a deal wit them to simply let them be if they let him be.

WE should be pushing our relationship with him for all it's worth, and forcing him to allow us to enter that area, where the Osama and Al qeada and Mullah Omar and the taliban reign supreme. We should be sending in troops and Hunting osama et al down. THAT would put an end to the problems in Afgahnistan and Paksitan, cutting the heads off of the beasts that are currently producing SO much terror in both nations.

2 nuclear scientists were recently kidnapped near those regions. What should we do? Just Wait?

Obama is not afraid to confront a real problem when he sees it, and that is why he said that under the right circumstances he might go into those wild and dangerous border regions to extinguish a REAL threat to US and regional security. Hillary at first chided him for it, right up until the entire US intelligence community came out and said that there is NO Nuke weapons program in Iran, making her years of baseless saber rattling look as ridiculous as those of her partners in crime, the Bush adminstration. only AT THAT point did she drop her Iran babble and start to parrot Obama concerning Paksitan.

We need REAL leadership, capable of correctly evaluating REAL threats and using our Precious resources correctly to deal with them.

Hillary has proven herself wrong on EVERY occasion that she has tried to do this.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:18 PM on 02/18/2008
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