The Al-Qaeda Threat In Pakistan Equals A Very Real Threat To The U.S.

I have been following the news regarding the recent events in Pakistan and, quite frankly, am alarmed not only by the possible outcome of Musharraf losing his grip on the country, but also the way it is being portrayed in the media.

Everyone from President Bush down to the staff reporters in the main stream media have called for Musharraf to halt his crackdown and to restore democracy. I am wholly in favor of democracy, but in this case there is too much at stake.

The problem I have is the way the media glosses over the real reason for the crackdown and portrays it as a power grab to keep control of the country.

We cannot, under any circumstances, let the Musharraf regime fall to Al-Qaeda forces. The one thing they prize the most is what Musharraf has: Nuclear weapons. Just the idea of Al-Qaeda having nukes sends shivers up my spine.

Israel would be nuked almost immediately. We would be nuked, if not simultaneously, immediately thereafter. This would put the United States in a very tough situation in the international community. If we don't pre-eminently strike with nukes, we would see a catastrophe unlike any in U.S. History. If we do pre-eminently strike, we would be condemned and sanctioned, almost with certainty, by the UN and the rest of the "Global Community".

Most Americans watch international news with a kind of a wink and a shrug. Let's face it: We live in a society that values the here and now, and looks at consequences later, usually when it's too late. That attitude is what's going to bring this country to the brink of extinction.

We need to watch this as intently as we would a national emergency here. Most don't want to admit it but we are directly affected by what happens in the next weeks and months in Pakistan. If we don't support the crackdown on Islamic radicals and offer any assistance to Musharraf, World War III will be just a hop, skip and a jump away.

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For those of you who want to be diligent but don't have the time or energy to look all this up, here are some links to stories to the Pakistan crisis.

Musharraf To Declare Emergency In Pakistan Breitbart.com
Pakistan's Musharraf Declares Emergency Breitbart.com
Troops Deployed At State-Run Radio And Television BBC
...Army Takes Control Sky News
Supreme Court Judges Reject Breitbart.com
U.S. "Deeply Disturbed" Breitbart.com
Musharraf Imposes Tough Curbs On Media MyWay
"I Cannot Let This Country Commit Suicide" Yahoo News
Activists detained In Pakistan MyWay
Musharraf Warned: Hold Elections And Quit As Army Chief The Guardian
Bush: Musharraf Must restore Democracy "As Quickly As Possible" Breitbart.com
Deposed Pakistan Judge Urges Defience Breitbart.com
Militants Seize Town MyWay

And Some Intelligence Analysis...

Terror Experts Warn Of Increased Threat Due To Pakistan Crisis National Terror Alert
Global war: Pakistan In State Of Emergency Sean Osborne, Northeast Intelligence Network