[Marxism] McKinney: ÂNo US Troops in PakistanÂ

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

NO US TROOPS IN PAKISTAN:
Pakistan for the Pakistani People
December 28, 2007

 "Free and fair elections, not U.S. troops, are the best strategy for achieving 
peace and stability in Pakistan."

Today, Cynthia McKinney, six-term former Member of Congress and current Green 
Party Presidential Candidate, announced her shock and disappointment at 
yesterday's assassination of former President and current Presidential 
candidate Benazir Bhutto.  "I have long had close ties to the people of 
Pakistan; I traveled there twice, count many Pakistani-Americans among my 
personal friends, and I had the good fortune to meet Benazir Bhutto.  I refused 
to meet Musharaff when I had the chance  because he was always a dictator and I 
don't meet dictators," McKinney said.

Shortly after Bhutto's murder, reports began to surface that the U.S. had 
finalized plans to send troops to Pakistan.  According to McKinney, "There is 
much that the United States can send to Pakistan, like helping with true 
democracy instead of rigged elections.  The last thing U.S. troops and the 
Pakistani people need is the presence of U.S. troops in Pakistan."

During McKinney's most recent trip to Pakistan earlier this year, she traveled 
to a Karachi suburb where she met for the second time with the Balochi people 
of African descent who were among Bhutto's strongest supporters in the country.

"This is a sad time--especially for all the strong women in the world, for all 
the poor and desperate people of Pakistan who need and deserve attention and 
hope, and for all peace-loving people everywhere who hope that this tragedy is 
not used as a pretext for more war, more chaos, more destabilization of yet 
another basically peace-loving people," McKinney said.

According to McKinney, the real key to stability in Pakistan begins with free 
and fair elections using internationally recognized election observers in order 
to achieve a Pakistani government that reflects the will and dreams of the 
Pakistani people.

McKinney concluded with a caution that the United States should not view chaos 
in Pakistan, in the aftermath of Bhutto's murder, as a reason for becoming 
engaged in more war or for putting our troops into harm's way.  "War is not an 
acceptable strategy to achieve democracy--not in Iraq, and not in Pakistan.  
Free and fair elections, not U.S. troops, are the best strategy for achieving 
peace and stability in Pakistan," McKinney concluded.

"I send my most heartfelt condolences to the Bhutto family and to all the 
people of Pakistan," said McKinney. 

====================================
Walter Lippmann
Havana, Cuba
"Un paraÃso bajo el bloqueo"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
====================================

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