Pakistan Prez appears on 'Daily Show'

[rsmith6621]

By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer 34 minutes ago


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060927/ap_en_tv/musharraf_daily_show

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's tete-a-tete with Stewart on the Comedy Central program was even more unlikely than the much-anticipated meeting between Musharraf, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and
President Bush, planned for Wednesday.

As a gesture mirroring Pakistani hospitality, Stewart welcomed Musharraf with a cup of jasmine green tea, and offered the more American delicacy of a Twinkie. Musharraf chuckled and thanked the host, though Stewart promptly changed the subject.

"Where's
Osama bin Laden?" he asked suddenly.

"I don't know," replied Musharraf. "You know where he is? You lead on, we'll follow you."

[marmar]

1. Musharraf agreed to be on The Daily Show?

The world is indeed too warped for me to comprehend. :crazy:

[Riverman]

2. Why Doesn"t Stewart ask: When will you hold democratic elections

for President of Pakistan? Remember "President" Musharraf took over in a coup afer the former dictator Zia was killed ina mytsterious plane crash. But, of yeah, I forgot democracy is spreading like wildfire throughout the Middle-East, just ask their neighbors in Iraq and Iran.

[Extend a Hand]

7. hhhmm...I understood that he overthrew a legally elected government...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pervez_Musharraf

Musharraf became de facto Head of Government (using the title Chief Executive and assuming extensive powers) of Pakistan following a bloodless coup d'état on 12 October 1999. That day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attempted to dismiss Musharraf and install ISI director Khwaja Ziauddin in his place. Musharraf, who was out of the country, boarded a commercial airliner to return to Pakistan. Senior Army generals refused to accept Musharraf's dismissal. Sharif ordered the Karachi airport to prevent the landing of the airliner, which then circled the skies over Karachi. In the coup, the generals ousted Sharif's administration and took over the airport. The plane landed with only a few minutes of fuel to spare, and Musharraf assumed control of the government. Sharif was put under house arrest and later exiled. He and other democratic leaders have subsequently been prevented from entering Pakistan. The existing President of Pakistan, Rafiq Tarar, remained in office until June 2001. Musharraf formally made himself President on June 20, 2001, just days before his scheduled visit to Agra for talks with India.


Referendum held: Supreme Court orders elections

Shortly after Musharraf's takeover, several people filed court petitions challenging his assumption of power. On May 12, 2000, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Musharraf to hold general elections by October 12, 2002. In an attempt to legitimize his presidency and assure its continuance after the approaching restoration of democracy, he held a referendum on April 30, 2002 to extend his presidential term to five years after the October elections. However, the referendum was boycotted by the majority of Pakistani political groupings, which later complained that the elections were heavily rigged, and voter turnout was 3% or below by most estimates. A few weeks later, Musharraf went on TV and apologized to the nation for "irregularities" in the referendum.

Musharraf also forcibly removed many of the Supreme Court Justices who had voted against his usurpation of power. These included Justice Taqi Usmani, a world authority on International financial law and Constitutional law. Newspaper editors who were critical of Musharraf, such as the editor of the Balochistan Post, have also been exiled.

[Tarc]

9. Because the Daily Show isn't Crossfire?

Not really the forum for serious, hard-hitting discussions.

[Zhade]

10. Is that a joke?

Are you referencing Stewart's visit to Crossfire, and his pleas with that decidedly non-hard-hitting 'news' show?

[Tarc]

11. Um, no

I am pointing out that the Daily Show is still in essence a comedy show, so this guy asking/demanding that Stweart press Musharraf with serious or hard-hitting questions on there is a bit silly.

[Yupster]

14. I don't know

Is it right for a comedy talk show to make yuck yuck with a dictator?

I kept waiting for Jon to make some reference to "so, how's the election campaign going," or something like that.

[PansophicOne]

19. That's how it should be done...

That's how it should be done on a show like that... That's how they usually handle such things, at least.

[EFerrari]

17. He did, lol. And Musharraf skated on that for about two minutes. nt

[BootinUp]

3. Wonder what Bill O thinks about that? lol.

[JoFerret]

4. More guts than out own dear prez then

I am no fan of undemocratically selected military leaders but I see this as a positive sign. (Did not see the show.)

[Agnomen]

5. Musharraf has a book to hawk

It came out yesterday. The Daily Show is a must for all authors. Stewart's audience does not move their lips while reading.

[silverweb]

6. LOL

"The Daily Show is a must for all authors. Stewart's audience does not move their lips while reading."

How true!

:D

[Bigmack]

8. All I can think of....

when I watch guys like Musharraf is..... Dumbya is such a dumbshit, and guys like Musharraf are so fucking smart/smooth. What chance has the US got in its dealings with the rest of the world?

I know he seized power... well, actually, so did Dumbya... and Musharraf may be a dictator, but at least the man is intelligent and personable, fer crissakes!

He's juggling about 50 (tribal, ethnic, and religious) balls at once. Dumbya couldn't count to 6 with anything in his hands.

[zanne]

12. Sometimes I think Stewart is too "nice" to guests

He seldom asks hard-hitting questions of his more controversial guests. Then again, he has to walk a fine line, because if he didn't, people like Musharraf definitely wouldn't appear on his show.

[arewenotdemo]

13. Did Stewart ask him what it felt like to "war-game" the United States?

Someone should.

I think that SOB knows EXACTLY where Osama bin Laden is.

And if the director of the ISI did OK the $100K to Atta, as has been charged, it certainly wouldn't surprise me if Musharraf knew as well.

[w4rma]

15. Informative. (nt)

[Poll_Blind]

16. Every time I've seen him interviewed...EVERY time...He's...

...comes off as charming, intelligent and thoughtful. And I'm sure he is. He's also a despot.

  Americans are conditioned, for the most part through media (movies, television, etc.) to think of despots as unappealing in every way- so very much of our culture is driven by beliefs that caricatures are accurate reflections of reality. The notorious serial killer Ted Bundy was very intelligent, engaging, thoughtful and charming. And I'm sure he was. But he was still a killer.

  The message is to no-one in particular and helps remind me that, again, things are not always what they seem.

PB

[EFerrari]

18. Anti social personalities can be very charming because

they have no reason to doubt themselves.

[Poll_Blind]

20. Hrm, that's an interesting angle I don't recall hearing before. But it...

...makes perfect sense.

PB

[Lisa]

21. he certainly gave right-wing Canadians something to think about ...

The group that supports Bush and was outspoken in their claim to be "supporting the troops" was shocked when the President of Pakistan scolded Canadians for being overly sentimental about the deaths of our soldiers in Afghanistan.

He IS a military guy, and used to making decisions about this sort of thing. And I bet that a lot of those more-casual conservatives, who were accusing the left of not respecting our armed forces, are going to be VERY upset about his attitude. (With the exception of that military analyst who was on CBC last week, claiming that reporting on "ramp ceremonies" and half-masting the flags was "corroding our sense of mission".)

At the very least it's going to put them through some mental gymnastics, rationalizing why someone like my mom (having second thoughts about the Afghanistan deployment, and crying about the death of a boy from our neighbourhood who was killed by US friendly fire earlier this month) is somehow "worse" than a supposed ally who says that we're weak and emotional. Especially when the Conservatives and Reform spent decades complaining about how Canadians don't appreciate the sacrifices of military families, and have been lax about showing respect for the dead and injured!


''We have suffered 500 casualties,'' Musharraf told CBC in a televised interview Tuesday night. ''Canadians may have suffered four or five.

''You suffer two dead and you cry and shout all around the place that there are coffins,'' the general said. ''Well, we have had 500 coffins.''



http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=1038b69a-a22c-4ad7-95db-2d9ea4f10c53&k=52495

[bleedingheart]

23. my aunt's husband was social, good looking and he beat her

senseless most nights...but his friends thought he was the greatest...

what is funny is the the most sadistic people are sometimes the most charming because they are smart enough to know that honey lures more victims than vinegar...

[rinsd]

22. He so well spoken and doesn't seem crazy at all

Whoops wrong week.