PAKISTAN TRAGEDY

In the last post, we somewhat tastelessly used a picture of the front page of the Daily Mail to tell the story of the threat by Conservative MPs to scupper the granting of a few powers to the Scottish parliament. There were two stories on that page, the other was the attack on school children in Pakistan, by the Taliban.

Niko pointed this out and we changed the page.

Officials say more than 140 people, mostly children, have been killed in the Taliban attack on an army-run school in north-west Pakistan.

Pakistan's security forces say their operation has now ended, with all seven attackers killed.

Pupils who escaped have said the gunmen went from classroom to classroom, shooting children indiscriminately.

The Taliban say the assault is in response to army operations in North Waziristan and the Khyber area.

It is hard to imagine what kind of mind could come up with this. It is even harder to get your head around the fact that someone thought that killing children was a reasonable way of dealing with unwelcome army operations.

The Scots have clearly been moved by the tragedy and the Pakistani Consul General in Edinburgh has thanked Scotland.

I am sorry, as I said on the last post, if my careless juxtaposition of a frivolous story about the Tories and this horrific tragedy carried out by monsters, caused any offence. 

Of course none was intended.

RULE BRITANNIA... BRITANNIA RULES THE WORLD

Gordon Brown in some sort of mistaken notion that he was the Chinese or American President, or some other sort of world statesman ordered the Pakistani President to kill Osama bin Laden.

Apparently the President was not happy at his tone.

Yesterday Mr Cameron, equally deluded, was minded to employ his 9 whole months of experience of government, by lecturing the Egyptian President about what he should be doing with his little bit of trouble.

Where on Earth do these people get off?

Firstly I can’t help but think that if Messers Brown and Cameron were in the habit of addressing themselves to issues in the UK, then perhaps we wouldn’t find ourselves in the parlous state that we do, and secondly, what is it about British Prime Ministers that make them think that they know best about things that are happening on the other side of the world.

How would Brown or Cameron like it if they got a call from the Chinese president, giving them instructions about how to have a successful Olympics or from the Qataris, pointing out that it was barbaric to pepper spray protesting students?

The days of London running the world are over. Live with it. Get your heads down and try to find a sensible way of sorting out the mess that is Britain. See if you can find a way to employ all the people for whom there are no jobs; see if you can find a way of dealing with the worst crime rates and highest prison population in Western Europe; and while you’re at the tackle the drugs issues, teenage pregnancies, education that sees people with degrees but unable to spell simple words and punctuate a paragraph. Deal with issues like the woman who testified yesterday that the hospital (in England) where she went for a small operation, was so dirty that she went in for a week’s stay and ended up being there for 18 months, suffering from C Diff, E-Coli and MRSA.

Do something about the joke that is the British Railways system, where the prices are around double and the service around half the European average, and where believe it or not, they are putting up prices by 3 times inflation in order to discourage people from using the service, because they simply cannot cope.

Sort the bloody pot holes in the roads. We pay between £120 and £250 a year in road tax, not to mention the most expensive petrol in the world, and our roads are like Yak tracks in Nepal. Cars are shaken to bit and springs are broken on a daily basis.

Do something about building affordable rented houses so that we stop this ideologically driven nonsense that even the poorest can own their own homes. Home ownership is for rich people who can afford to deal with the re-roofing, or damp coursing that comes along from time to time. Not poor people who struggle to get by to have enough money for food by the end of the month.

And do something about the crap you expect our pensioners to live with. No surprises that Britain has the lowest pension as a proportion of average wage, in all of Europe, and many live in penury.

That’s what running a country is about. Not lecturing Egyptians about how to deal with riots or telling Pakistan who to assassinate.

Oh and if your reason for thinking that you have the right to do any of that is (as mine is for lecturing you) that Britain gives aid to these countries (as I pay my taxes to you)...then stop giving them aid. It is us that needs aid. Our pensioners, our hospitals, our roads.

Shape up or ship out.

Pics: Fresh faced and busy tailed as ever, the sleeping ugly; Hosni, looking well Browned off at being lectured by Cameron; Osama, Osama, where for art thou Osama? (Ok, I know it doesn't mean where!); Don't you think that Egypian riots have a golden glow compared with the grey ones we have here? Birl on it Hosni, I is de boss, because I is British, innit.

Huge slice of Pakistani Humble Pie for David Cameron

Didn’t I say that David Cameron had gone off message in his recent spat with Pakistan? Now he has described the relationship between the UK and Pakistan as “unbreakable”. Not the terrorist merchants we were led to believe then? Didn’t I also say that a heavey duty amount of back pedalling and watering down would be necessary to restore the equilibrium between the USA and their junior partners? I hate to say I told you so but.....

Yesterday, after his first meeting with Pakistan’s president since his comments provoked outrage, the Prime Minister also praised the sacrifices the Islamic Republic had made fighting extremism.

Mr Cameron appeared keen to downplay the diplomatic tensions that surrounded the meeting, at his official country estate of Chequers. President Asif Ali Zardari had previously stated that he would use the visit to challenge Mr Cameron over his claims. The President is also in hot water at home for being out of the country during a national emergency on a lavish foreign trip. But what a golden opportunity for Zardari, he’s got DC over a barrel so a perfect time to whizz over and get something. I wonder what it is? No doubt all will be revealed in due course.

DC’s unfortunate remarks in a question and answer session were seen as particularly explosive because they were made on a trip to India, with whom Pakistan has long had a difficult relationship (to say the least) and of course the two are nuclear rivals.

As well as exporting terrorism, Cameron had accused Pakistan of “looking both ways” on the issue. Almost as good as New Labour’s “ethical” foreign policy aint it?

The PM had been speaking days after official US documents released on the WikiLeaks website alleged that Pakistani security forces were colluding with the Taliban on Afghanistan. But Pakistan furiously denied the claims and accused the Prime Minister of basing his remarks on flawed information. Protesters even burned an effigy of Mr Cameron on the streets of Karachi. The cheek of him accusing Pakistan of looking both ways when he has to check with his senior partner before he burps.

Yesterday, officials insisted the informal talks between the two men had been “warm and constructive”. However, the Pakistani president appeared to have wangled a number of pledges from the Prime Minister, including that Mr Cameron would visit Pakistan soon.

Didn’t I tell you he wanted something?

During the hour-long meeting, Mr Cameron also agreed to help Pakistan increase trade with the European Union. In addition, Home Secretary Theresa May will visit Pakistan this autumn (something for them to look forward to); William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, will work more closely with his Pakistani counterpart; and the two countries will hold an annual summit to build closer co-operation.

Speaking outside Chequers, Mr Cameron said “The President and I have been talking about what we see as an unbreakable relationship between Britain and Pakistan based on our mutual interests.”

Mr Zardari was equally warm but appeared more willing than the Prime Minister to acknowledge the simmering tensions behind their talks. He said “[Britain and Pakistan’s] friendship will never break, no matter what happens,” he said. “Storms will come and storms will go, and Pakistan and Britain will stand together.” Get the dig in Zardi old boy!

President Zardari had already visited Chequers on Thursday night for an informal dinner accompanied by his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whom he introduced to the Prime Minister.

Opposition parties in Pakistan have claimed that this week’s visit was merely a ruse by Mr Zardari to kick start the political career of Bilawal, who has just finished university but is tipped as a future leader of his country.

There you are then quite a shopping list. But DC should be used to being used by foreign politicians. There is quite a long queue US President first, then US Senators, President of Turkey, PM of India and now President of Pakistan. Of course they are not admitting to any nuclear sharing, but I will be betting that President Zardari will be over here finding out what India got and trying to get the same!