Our alledged "war on terror" has put us into bed with some odious governments.

There's Uzbekistan, who's extremely convenient airbase is pushing the Bush Administration to ignore the government's murdering of hundreds of Uzbeki citizens.

And then there's Pakistan.

Many on the left side of the blogosphere have also noted the plight of Mukhtaran Bibi of Pakistan.

Nicholas Kristof's column tells the story:

No wonder the Pakistan government can't catch Osama bin Laden. It is too busy harassing, detaining - and now kidnapping - a gang-rape victim for daring to protest and for planning a visit to the United States.

Then Ms. Mukhtaran, who believed that the best way to overcome such abuses was through better education, used her compensation money to start two schools in her village, one for boys and the other for girls. She went out of her way to enroll the children of her attackers in the schools, showing that she bore no grudges.

This is a story of courage and strength. Mukhtaran is a hero. A woman of such bravery and fortitude as to be admired and held up as a role model for all who seek to be free from tyranny. And who is the US ally in this tale? Not the heroine..but the government of Pakistan.

Kristof:

A group of Pakistani-Americans invited Ms. Mukhtaran to visit the U.S. starting this Saturday (see www.4anaa.org). Then a few days ago, the Pakistani government went berserk.

Asma Jahangir, a Pakistani lawyer who is head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said she had learned that Ms. Mukhtaran was taken to Islamabad, furiously berated and told that President Pervez Musharraf was very angry with her. She was led sobbing to detention at a secret location. She is barred from contacting anyone, including her lawyer.

Skirted off into illegal custody? Unable to talk to anyone..including her lawyer? Sound familiar?

Apologists for the Bush Administration have been known to come forward when such tales as these come out with excuses about how we must sometimes align with detestable governments in order to defeat a common (and more hateful) foe.

Perhaps one of them could come forward and explain how aligning with a government which allows a woman to be kidnapped, gang raped, held in illegal custody and isolated without her family or legal counsel is better than aligning with the Taliban?

The US government has put some pressure on Pakistan on this matter. This morning, the Pakistani government says they lifted the travel ban against Mukhtaran Bibi. The Pakistanis are claiming that Bibi wasn't kidnapped and was allowed to move freely at all times.

The Pakistani PR machine has been taking lessons from the White House Press Office.

(x-posted at PK)

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.grupo-utopia.com/blog/mt/mt-tb.cgi/258