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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Pakistan's view on the US elections | Pakistan's view on the US elections |
| (4 months later) | |
| The US elections have serious implications for Pakistan and policy making, but that is not reflected in popular debate or discussion. | The US elections have serious implications for Pakistan and policy making, but that is not reflected in popular debate or discussion. |
| While government officials complain that there is little chance of key issues, such as efforts to draw the Taliban into a political process, being dealt with before the the election, public interest in the contest is virtually nil. | While government officials complain that there is little chance of key issues, such as efforts to draw the Taliban into a political process, being dealt with before the the election, public interest in the contest is virtually nil. |
| Perhaps that is not surprising with anti-Americanism appearing to be at an all-time high in Pakistan. | Perhaps that is not surprising with anti-Americanism appearing to be at an all-time high in Pakistan. |
| There has been little media interest in the campaign, with some of the most recent reports about the US president concerning the burning of effigies of him to protest against a blasphemous anti-Islam film posted on YouTube. | There has been little media interest in the campaign, with some of the most recent reports about the US president concerning the burning of effigies of him to protest against a blasphemous anti-Islam film posted on YouTube. |
| There is certainly none of the enthusiasm Obama mustered in the Muslim world in 2008, said Munawar Hasan, president of the conservative Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami. | There is certainly none of the enthusiasm Obama mustered in the Muslim world in 2008, said Munawar Hasan, president of the conservative Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami. |
| "After the last four years people now know that Americans are Americans and George Bush and Barack Obama are two sides of the same coin," he said, damning US policy on the region, including the sharp increase in drone strikes and the troop surge in Afghanistan. No one is interested in this election because, whoever wins, US foreign policy is not going to change." | "After the last four years people now know that Americans are Americans and George Bush and Barack Obama are two sides of the same coin," he said, damning US policy on the region, including the sharp increase in drone strikes and the troop surge in Afghanistan. No one is interested in this election because, whoever wins, US foreign policy is not going to change." |
| Some suspect the country's military establishment may harbour a stronger desire to see the back of Obama as his administration, in sharp contrast to that of George Bush (and Republican governments in general), was not afraid of playing rough with Pakistan, even at the expense of humiliating its armed forces. | Some suspect the country's military establishment may harbour a stronger desire to see the back of Obama as his administration, in sharp contrast to that of George Bush (and Republican governments in general), was not afraid of playing rough with Pakistan, even at the expense of humiliating its armed forces. |
| The May 2011 raid to kill Osama bin Laden within Pakistani territory still haunts the army and the country has struggled to cope with the massive increase in US drone attacks on its tribal areas. | The May 2011 raid to kill Osama bin Laden within Pakistani territory still haunts the army and the country has struggled to cope with the massive increase in US drone attacks on its tribal areas. |
| Even worse was the accidental US airstrike on the Afghan border last year which killed 24 troops and prompted months of acrimony between Islamabad and Washington. | Even worse was the accidental US airstrike on the Afghan border last year which killed 24 troops and prompted months of acrimony between Islamabad and Washington. |
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