All Cups, No Tea?

If these allegations about Greg Mortenson prove true, this is a tremendous disappointment. Ali gave me a copy of Mortenson's book, Three Cups of Tea, a couple years ago. I loved the book and had been a big fan of Mortenson's work. Now it looks like he has exaggerated much of what he's done and engaged in some pretty serious fabrications and lack of financial oversight.

Another humanitarian hero has tumbled off his pedestal.

It remains to be seen whether Greg Mortenson, author of the best-selling “Three Cups of Tea,” will be able to avert a total reputation meltdown. But last Sunday’s 60 Minutes broadcast and a thorough exposé by Jon Krakauer provide convincing evidence for some serious allegations:

• That some of the most important, inspiring stories in Mortenson’s nonfiction books—stories that provide the foundation for his whole mission—fall somewhere on the spectrum between greatly exaggerated and completely invented.
• That Mortenson’s charity, the Central Asia Institute (CAI) lacks sufficient transparency and oversight.
• That some not insignificant number of schools Mortenson claims to have built in Afghanistan and Pakistan either aren’t being supported by CAI, aren’t being used as schools, or don’t exist at all.

Mortenson refuted the allegations in a letter to his supporters, saying that the story “paints a distorted picture using inaccurate information, innuendo and a microscopic focus on one year’s (2009) IRS 990 financial, and a few points in the book ‘Three Cups of Tea’ that occurred almost 18 years ago.” But the rebuttals he’s provided so far do little to counter the weight of evidence against him.

What surprises me most about the story is not that yet another development demigod turned out to be a human.

What surprises me most is the way Mortenson’s charity—embraced by the US military and admired by President Obama, Oprah and literally millions of Americans—has managed to avoid scrutiny of its spending priorities for so long.

Read the whole thing and be sure to watch the 60 Minutes video.

More on this by Megan McArdle.

Jon Krakauer has an eBook on this called Three Cups of Deceit. It's available for free [PDF] through tomorrow.

Like I said, this is tremendously disappointing.

Scenes From Pakistan

The Big Picture:

The government of Pakistan announced on Monday that it would accept Islamic Sharia Law to be implemented in its Swat Valley region, as part of a truce with local Taliban leaders. Militants had been demanding Sharia law, attacking opponents, burning scores of girls' schools and banning many forms of entertainment. Gun battles between Pakistani security forces and militants have killed hundreds, while up to a third of the valley's 1.5 million people have fled. A nuclear power with a growing economy, Pakistan's government is still struggling for control of the country, coping with internal clashes and terrorism, that can bleed over and involve neighbors and allies, including militant attacks in India, and excursions into Afghanistan - inviting U.S. military operations that follow the attackers back into Pakistan. Collected here are 40 recent photos from Pakistan, with a special acknowledgement to the artistry of AP Photographer Emilio Morenatti. (40 photos total)

Pakistan's New Frontier

One of my friends, Josh White, just got back from working as an election monitor in the Pakistan. He shares some thoughts and observations in an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal:

The ouster of pro-Taliban Islamist parties in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province has sparked optimism that secular nationalism is replacing religious fanaticism in a troubled corner of the world. But the election results are best viewed as another phase in Pakistan's cyclical politics rather than a revolution in attitudes about Islamic governance. The United States, taking the long view, would be wise to engage both the winners and the losers in the province's new political order. The losers are likely to wield influence in the region again.

The key to dealing with the religious parties is to continue their integration into the mainstream political process. The good news here is that "democratic Islamists" like the MMA were never quite as dangerous as prophesied. Faced with the stark realities of governance, they watered down their Shariah agenda, crafted a development program that bent to the wishes of international donors, and began more forcefully to disassociate themselves from militancy.

No one should have any illusions: Islamist discourse and strict Shariah are corrupting to liberal democracy in Pakistan. But the democratic Islamists are not a monolith. They adapt, they compromise, and they absorb a vast pool of young activists who might otherwise turn toward violence. Left alone on the margins, they may more readily adopt a vigorous politics of agitation, protesting progressive social policies and state action against hardline clerics.



This is a particular threat because, despite the MMA's defeat, the broader political winds are still at its back. Anti-Americanism and frustration with the war in Afghanistan remain high. Furthermore, the ANP's secular and pro-Hamid Karzai orientations -- both of which are out of step with the broader Pashtun population in the Frontier -- are likely to limit its influence in precisely those places that present the greatest governance and security challenges to the Pakistani state.

This election was not so definitive a rejection of religious politics as it might seem. The religious parties are not going away, and now more than ever the U.S. must learn to engage with the entire spectrum of religious and political actors in the Frontier. Sometimes it's the losers who matter most of all.

Read the whole thing.

Josh is currently a graduate student at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He lived in Peshawar for 10 months in 2005-2006 and spent time studying at Lahore University of Management Science (where Ali went to school).

I attended a presentation Josh gave last November on his work on Pakistan's North-West Frontier Provence and was quite impressed. Almost without exception, all the commenters and questioners said it was the best, most comprehensive presentation they’ve ever seen on the subject. You can listen to his presentation and the following discussion.

P.S. -- Ali reacts.

Pakistan: Opposition Parties Crush Musharraf Allies

PPP and PML-N Sweep Polls:

Aaj Television, a major Pakistani news channel, estimates that the leading opposition parties, the People’s Party (PPP) and Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), together will receive approximately 78% of the total parliamentary seats. If the estimate holds true, the PPP and PML-N will have the ability to impeach President Pervez Musharraf and amend the constitution. They could remove Musharraf, restore the deposed judiciary, repeal Musharraf’s constitutional amendments, and push for parliamentary supremacy. The two parties could form a national unity government together or compete against one another to form a government with the remaining parties–including the PML-Q.

More after the link.

The BBC reports this is a heavy blow for Musharraf.

Here are some Q&A about the elections and why it matters to the rest of the world.

Election Day In Pakistan

Pakistanis head to the polls today. The elections are rigged. Will votes matter? Maybe so.

Millions of Pakistanis will head to the polls today, ostensibly to select their federal and provincial representatives, who in turn will choose the new prime minister and chief ministers. Will their votes matter? To a certain extent, yes. These elections are an exercise in managed competition.

In many electoral districts, the voting public will genuinely decide the victor. Elsewhere, Pervez Musharraf & Co. will actively intervene, skewing the results in their own favor.

That the polls would be rigged was never really a matter of debate. The real questions have been and remain: to what extent will the polls be rigged and where? How far will Musharraf go? Who will lose most from the rigging? Will the rigging–to use one of Musharraf’s favorite military terms–be “surgical” or more of a “shock and awe” variety? If Musharraf opts for the former, he can perhaps stay afloat. If he overstretches, then he will likely be submerged by both the opposition and elements of the so-called “establishment.”

So what would surgical and shock and awe rigging look like exactly? They’re best differentiated by their byproducts.

Follow the link for more. Stores have sold out of many goods as Pakistanis stock up in case of an outbreak of public anger if the elections appears fraudulent.

Read more on the Pakistani elections here, here, and here.

I have a friend over there now who got invited to be an election supervisor. I look forward to hearing about his first-hand impressions upon his return.

Benazir Bhutto Assassinated in Suicide Attack in Pakistan

This is huge and very sad:

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto died at 6:16PM PST (8:16AM New York) today after suffering fatal wounds from an assassination attempt while leaving Liaquat Park in Rawalpindi.

Bhutto, after completing her address at the party rally and entering a bomb and bulletproof vehicle, reportedly opened the vehicle’s sunroof and shook hands with her supporters through it, exposing the top half of her body. An assassin, perhaps briefly preceded by a suicide blast nearby, fired three to five shots at her; one struck Ms. Bhutto in the head and the other in her neck. The assassination then blew himself up.

More from the Washington Post:

Bhutto's death is a devastating development, coming 12 days before Pakistanis are set to vote in national parliamentary elections already marked by enormous political turmoil. President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in November -- a move which he said was to combat terrorism, but which was widely perceived as an effort to stave off legal challenges to his authority. U.S. military officials said last week that the terrorist group al-Qaeda increasingly is focusing its efforts in Pakistan.

Some think this assassination could push Pakistan into civil war:

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto threatens to plunge a nuclear armed Pakistan into civil war, opposition groups warned today.

The former prime minister was killed by a suicide bomber as she left a public rally in the city of Rawalpindi today.

Commentators said the killing would make the postponement of the upcoming elections almost certain and could spark further unrest.

Riaz Malik, of the opposition Pakistan Movement for Justice party (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), warned: "The impact will be that Pakistan is in more turmoil - it will be the start of civil war in Pakistan.

"There is a very real danger of civil war in Pakistan."

Pajamas Media and Gateway Pundit both have roundups. Bob Krumm has more.

Al-Qaeda is claiming responsibility for the attack.

The Wall Street Journal is reprinting an interview they had with Bhuto in August.

More coverage in the New York Times.

Pakistan's 'Islamist' Frontier

Today I went to Johns Hopkins near Du Pont Circle Wednesday morning to hear a fantastic presentation by my friend, Josh White, on Pakistan’s ‘Islamist’ Frontier: Emerging Trends in Islamic Politics & U.S. Policy Options toward Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP):

Joshua T. White is a graduate student in South Asia Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS. He lived for 10 months in Peshawar in 2005-6, and recently returned to the Frontier to conduct research on the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and the dynamics of Islamic politics. He [presented] a preliminary report based on new field research, and suggest[ed] new directions for U.S. policy in the region.

There were well over 120 people packed into a crowded auditorium (many standing) and almost without exception, all the commenters and questioners said it was the best, most comprehensive presentation they’ve ever seen on the subject.

The school said they should have the video of Josh's presentation up on their website later tonight or tomorrow. They’ve already posted the audio of his presentation and the ensuing questions.

I wish Ali could have been there. It would have been great to get his thoughts on everything. I also think Ali would have enjoyed meeting Josh. They've both studied at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).

P.S. -- Here is more on Josh's presentation in the news.

Protest for Pakistan

Here are some photos from the protest for Pakistan in front of the Pakistani embassy earlier today. Over 100 people turned out to protest Musharaff's imposition of martial law.

While there, I had several great conversations with several Pakistani's about what's going on over there and about the response of the US. I was impressed with the caliber of respect, thoughtfulness, and intellect of everyone I spoke to.

Ali and Ghazia were two of the main organizers of the event and it was neat seeing them help lead the protest. Especially after having just hung out with them last night in celebration of Ali's birthday.

Both Ali and Ghazia had their turn at the microphone. Here is the text of Ali's speech.

Several other friends from GMU came out to show their support to Ali and Pakistan as well.

Those who couldn't attend, sent their support via cellular.

I think out of all of the protest signs, this was my favorite.

Ali spent his birthday protesting the injustices in his country. As Triya wrote, we are all very proud of him.

See many more photos here.

Students Arrested at Protest in Pakistan

Ali's kid sister is involved in a student protest at Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS) in Lahore, Pakistan. (LUMS is Ali's alma mater.) Police and Anti-Terrorrist Forces were sent in to arrest students:

An email has just come in that the Inspector General Police has given orders to the Police, Rangers and Anti-Terrorist Force to arrest the students from LUMS where a protest rally was scheduled today at 13:00

Four Army trucks and a police convoy have been positioned outside LUMS. The protest is still to proceed only the venue has been shifted to the Sports Complex.

My kid sister was among the demonstrators, and normally, I'd be scared out of my life for her, but life is completely unreal in Pakistan right now. The common cause overrides the private benefit right now. This is why I'm skeptical about neoclassical Economics!

Follow the link for more details.

Protest for Pakistan: November 11th in D.C.

(click image for larger view)

See photos from the protest here.

There will be a protest for Pakistan this Sunday, November 11th in Washington, D.C.:

On November 3, Gen. Musharraf suspended the constitution of Pakistan, illegally deposed the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, clamped down on the judiciary, used excessively violent measures to suppress dissident lawyers and human rights activists and blocked the non-government media. These acts portrayed as necessary against the War on Terror, have been used almost singularly to attack the civil society.

These are not mundane political acts, but gross violations of civil liberty: we are not political activists, we are protesting to protect institutions that protect our rights.

Demonstration for the Restoration of Civil Rights in

Pakistan

Sunday, November 11th, 1:00-3:30pm at
the Pakistani Embassy at 3517 International Court N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008

For queries and comments, call: 703-231-4252

Video Report About Pakistan

Here is a Reuters video report of what's going on in Pakistan:

(HT The Other Side of Pakistan via Ali)

Arrests and Abuses Continue in Pakistan

Ali's cousin just got thrown into prison in Pakistan. Ali wishes he were in jail with him:

He's a lawyer, a vociferous reader, and a patriot. I pray you're safe in prison buddy, and I'm jealous you have had the opportunity to serve our country in this manner.

We chatted about 24 hours ago and I was taunting him at not having gotten arrested already! Didn't quite believe things would get this bad though. The dictator is now taking shots at the mainstream middle class of Pakistan, and selling it to the West as necessary for their War. It's insane that some still believe him.

Angela writes Asma Jahangir, a female human rights lawyer she had breakfast with two weeks ago, has also been arrested:

In a surprisingly blunt (but not surprising) move, Musharraf has arrested over 1,500 lawyers and activists, including UN Special Rapporteur Asma Jahangir and Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, whom he tried to fire in March this year (he failed after four months of rallies lead by the Bar).

I can’t believe I was sitting in a room with her in Ottawa having breakfast tea less than two weeks ago. Becket has just signed onto a letter penned by Amnesty International Canada with others from that roundtable protesting the arrest(s).

About 3,000 lawyers other lawyers have been arrested as well:

CNN Reports:

About 3,000 Pakistani lawyers, rounded up since Saturday, sit in jails across the country with no courts operating to which they can appeal for release. Pakistan has an estimated 12,000 lawyers.

Police earned cash bonuses for beating and arresting hundreds of lawyers Monday who had gathered outside of Lahore's courthouse, police sources said.

Any lawyer who attempted to enter the Lahore or Islamabad courthouse Tuesday was immediately arrested, witnesses said. Some were grabbed by police as they walked toward the court, sources said.

CNN's Zain Verjee said the lawyers were charged with terrorism offenses, and human rights workers and journalists were also arrested.

Here is a video message from Pakistan from Imran Khan:

Imran Khan is a former cricket player turned politician. I remember Ali telling me some time ago how much he respected Khan. Watching this video, I can see why.

Read more of my previous posts on the current situation in Pakistan. Also be sure to check out Ali's blog for current updates.

Where Does Pakistan Go From Here?

A friend just sent me this link to some thoughtful analysis of Pakistan's martial law. He also highly recommended reading the Pakistan Policy Blog and the Daily Times for more insight and coverage of the situation.

I just temporarily added a news feed from the Pakistan Policy Blog to my sidebar.

Pakistan Declares Martial Law

I just saw this on Ali's blog. This sounds very, very bad...

Musharraf has declared, not the emergency earlier feared, but martial law.

Constitution suspended

Supreme Court declares state of emergency illegal.

Troops enter Supreme Court, surround judge's homes

Channels off air

Update: Land and mobile telephone lines are down in Islamabad BBC adds.

Here's coverage on CNN and the BBC. Read the text of the declaration of emergency. Ali continues coverage here.

PajamasMedia has a news roundup, including these highlights:

Pickled Politics: “The Chief Justice has been arrested, but an 8 member panel of the Supreme Court has ruled that the Provisional Constitutional Order which Musharraf has put in place is illegal and should be set aside … Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association and an influential member of Benazir’s Pakistan People’s Party has been arrested. This seems significant as it suggests that the rumoured deal between Musharraf and Benazir has been scrapped.”

Daily Kos: “Events in Pakistan bear far more significance for the United States and global security than most of what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. Furthermore, the significance of events in Iraq and Afghanistan relate largely to the impact these events have on the situation in Pakistan.”

Qurratulain: “It’s reported that the constitution of 1973 has also been dissolved”

BBC: “Gen Musharraf is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on whether he was eligible to run for re-election last month while remaining army chief … fears have been growing in the government that the Supreme Court ruling could go against Gen Musharraf.”

AP: “Dozens of police blocked the road in front of the Supreme Court building in Islamabad where judges were believed to be inside.”

Follow the link for more.

Ali writes that Pakistan's judiciary is being systematically destroyed:

Judges bugged. Judges! Forget about the rest of us. Judges!!!

Aitzaz Ahsan arrested.

New Chief Justice to take oath. How can any judge take oath under such circumstances? The next CJP doesn't deserved to be a Judge, let alone the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

More from PoliPundit:

The PakistaniTribune has more details on the Provisional Constitutional Order, and what articles of the 1973 Constitution have been suspended. Looking up a few of those listed gave me this list:

• Equality of citizens
  
• Freedom of speech
  
• Freedom of assembly
  
• Freedom of association
  
• Freedom of movement
  
• Safeguards as to arrest and detention
  
• Security of person - (No person shall be deprived of life or liberty save in accordance with law)

This is all incredibly bad for both Pakistan and the world.

Please pray for Pakistan and all those being affected by this. I have several Pakistani friends who have family and loved ones there right now.