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Putin talks to Perv
I've been wanting to write that headline for a while :-)Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf has begun a three day visit designed to challenge Russia's rock solid relations with Pakistan's archrival India. Perv's either feeling weak and needs some luster and a counterweight, or he's feeling good and can afford to branch out a little. This is the first official state visit by a Pakistani leader since Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s. General Musharraf will concentrate on building commercial relations including defence. That didn't take long. The Pakistani leader will also explore ways to advance Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer to mediate in Pakistan's dispute with India over Kashmir. Putin's mediation and three bucks will get you a coffee at the Starbucks. Pakistan's foreign ministry says there is a good chemistry between General Musharraf and President Putin, which is just as well because recent relations between their countries have been venomous. They were at their worst during the Cold War, when Pakistan, backed by the United States trained and armed the Mujahadeen fighters who drove Soviet forces from Afghanistan in the 1980s. Pakistan's support for the Taleban during the following decade did not do much to charm Moscow either, fighting, as it was, Muslim separatists in Chechnya. You have to figure that Putin has a memory for things like this, unless he's decided to blame all that on Splotch-Head and let bygones be bygones. Now Pakistan believes it is sending the right message to Russia, as a fellow So far, Russia has responded warmly. Last year, President Putin suggested mediating between Pakistan and India in the violent dispute over Kashmir and Pakistan, which wants outside involvement, has responded more keenly than India. Unless Perv reins in the jihadis, this is going nowhere. General Musharraf also wants to develop far stronger trading relations, which last year amounted to a miserly $100m. In particular, he wants Russian arms, partly to reduce Pakistan's dependence on the United States, partly to counterbalance Russia's solid diplomatic and military relations with India. Steve DenBeste notes that if you want to win a war, you buy American, whereas if you want to suppress your people, you buy Russian. What that in mind, I think I know where Perv's headed. General Musharraf's visit is a first, probably tiny step in that direction. Russia is not about to drop its long time allies in Delhi. They have just signed a $3b military procurement deal and besides, the Russians have long term plans to develop a strategic regional relationship with China and India. Classic Russian hedge-the-bets diplomacy. You're being used, Perv. At this stage that does not include Pakistan. Posted by: Steve White 2003-02-04 |
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