Interesting article on Pakistans response to Washingtons opposition to a closed trial and sentence of 23 years. Their response amounts to “you have your own secret detentions and trials, and we have ours.” Both parties claim their secret trials are for national security.

I don’t agree with the sentence for his “crime,” but I can’t disagree with their logic in terms of “permission” to hold closed trials. It is completely hypocritical for Washington to tell Pakistan it can’t do what it does itself. This, I believe, provides the strongest argument against the new US policy of preemptive attacks. What is stopping China from declaring Taiwan a threat to it’s national security and invading? Or what is stopping any country that has any level of tension with a neighbour from doing this? Nothing. They can all use similar arguments to those used by the US.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/04/16/pakistan.protests/