baithak: Baithak World Jun 02: Lawyers' Crusade, Stephen Walt in Cairo, Headlines, Cartoons, Paul Szep

The chief justice had become a political shuttlecock. Both the Bush administration and the P.P.P. would have liked to bat him down but could not publicly say so. The P.M.L.-N wanted to keep him aloft, both because it had vowed to do so and because Nawaz Sharif, who as prime minister had trampled on civil liberties, would be delighted to position himself as the champion of democracy against a reluctant or double-dealing Zardari. (A quick restoration of the judges might also remove some legal obstacles to Sharif’s political ascent.) Throughout April and into May, the two parties and their leaders engaged in a series of floating negotiations, in Dubai and London as well as Pakistan. Would the judges be brought back right away, with a simple parliamentary resolution, or later, as part of a larger package of constitutional reforms whose fate was uncertain? Would their tenure be curtailed? Would the judges who replaced them and took Musharraf’s oath remain in office? Zardari finally dug in his heels and refused to permit a swift and unambiguous return to office; perhaps he had never intended to make such a concession. The Lawyers’ Crusade - James Traub

The unconditional support shown by the United States toward Israel is not making the U.S. more popular and is not making American citizens safer, said Stephen Walt, Harvard professor and author of the bestselling book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy at a recent lecture on campus. “The primary reason for this support is the political influence of the Israel lobby,” he added.

Walt said the focus of his book was “a subject that wasn’t being discussed openly, especially in the United States.” He said that his recent focus on the issue was an effort to “open the window and let some light in,” adding that “support for Israel is beyond compare in recent history.”

His lecture in Ewart Memorial Hall focused on the fact that despite Israel being a relatively wealthy nation, it remains the “largest recipient of economic and military aid” and receives “consistent diplomatic support.” Walt said that this was true “even when it does things the United States opposes.” Renowned Author Reveals How the Israel Lobby Influences U.S. Policy in the Middle East [thanks A]