The Middle East in the News
• Cora Lewis, Monday, December 1, 2008
•”India warns Pakistan over attacks” News Article
•Al Jazeera, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/12/2008121152158798572.html
•Article Summary
Time – Dec. 1, 2008
Place – Mumbai, India (also Pakistan…)
Key People - Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan’s president
- Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State
Vocabulary - Lashkar-e-Tiyaba, a Pakistan-linked Islamist group
Main Ideas – At first glance, this article - and event - may not seem to be as linked to the study of the MIddle East that we have done so far. However, the group responsible for the attack is believed to be an Islamist group, and the nature of the attacks lends itself to many parallels… I also looked at Al Jazeera’s coverage, instead of relying on the extensive Western media.
“India has formally accused what it called “elements” in Pakistan of being behind the group that staged a series of attacks across Mumbai, which killed over 170 people. Pakistan’s government has denied it was in any way linked to the attacks.” The U.S. has tried to mediate communications, but, meanwhile, “Zardari urged India not to punish his country or allow “non-state actors” to push the two states to war.”
•Your Response to Article – The U.S. has urged Pakistan to have complete transparency in the country’s investigation into Lashkar-e-Tiyaba and whatever other groups may have been responsible for the attacks. The frightening part of this situation is that, as much as the U.S. and India can negotiate and communicate with the Pakistani government – and even though several members of the Pakistani government resigned – these are the actions of ‘non-state actors.’ Zardari also said, “”We live in troubled times where non-state actors have taken us to war before, whether it is the case of those who perpetrated [the] 9/11 [attacks on the US World Trade Centre] or contributed to the escalation of the situation in Iraq,” I think this is very true and telling. If nations allow themselves to go to war or respond out of proportion to these attacks, allow relations between one another to deteriorate, then the terrorist groups and non-state actors are more successful in their goals than merely causing death and destruction.
Post a Comment