Movies usually tell a story powerfully, emotionally—and simply. But “A Mighty Heart” is notable for the nuance it manages to convey. The 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl wasn’t itself complicated: a group of jihadists kidnapped him and then brutally beheaded him. But its setting, Pakistan, is awash in gray tones, which the movie paints skillfully. To fully understand this story, we must recognize the utter ruthlessness of Pearl’s killers but also the complexity of where they came from. Now, with Pakistan undergoing its greatest crisis since 9/11, the United States would do well to take that complexity into account.
Read the rest of this entry »

Until recently, President General Pervez Musharraf was adamant that he would seek presidential re-election from the current parliament in late September as required by law, within two months of the expiry of his tenure as president on November 15. This implied that the general elections would be held after the presidential election – that is, between November 2007 and January 2008. General Musharraf also insisted that the uniform was like “second skin” to him. This implied that he would move heaven and earth to remain army chief. But the Supreme Court is expected to decide the CJP case within a week or two. If the CJP is restored, its fallout would be akin to a vote of no-confidence in the government. Read the rest of this entry »