Fatima Bhutto - Pakistan: Failed State or Failed Leaders? (interview)
Fatima Bhutto published her first book, "Whispers of the Desert," a collection of poetry, when she was 15. An independent journalist, her articles appear in the "New Statesman," the "Guardian," and "CounterPunch." Her latest book, "8.50 A.M. 8 October 2005" is about the devastating earthquake that hit Pakistan.
Almost since its inception in 1947 Pakistan has been in the orbit of U.S. power. Billions have flowed to a succession of military dictators and corrupt civilian regimes. Today, Pakistan, armed with nuclear weapons, is on the verge of economic and political collapse.
It is called "the next Somalia." American bombing of Pakistan is a bi-partisan affair. Obama continues the policy begun under Bush. And the prospect of expanding U.S. military intervention looms on the
horizon. You can hear it in the language coming from Washington and echoed in the media. Pakistan is a "safe haven" and a "sanctuary" used to "carry out cross-border" raids endangering our troops in
neighboring Afghanistan. Recall the rhetoric preceding the U.S. attack on Cambodia. It's almost identical. And on the ground? The level of anger among many Pakistanis toward the U.S. is palpably
growing.