1115.org

Bush’s favorite democratic dictator is at it again. Demonstrating his commitment to democracy, I mean:

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was deported to Saudi Arabia Monday, hours after he had landed in Pakistan following seven years in exile hoping to campaign against the country’s U.S.-allied military ruler, officials said.

About four hours after he arrived on a flight from London, Sharif was taken into custody and charged with corruption, but then quickly spirited to another plane and flown out of Pakistan toward Jiddah, a close aide to President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said.
[...]
The deportation came despite a landmark Supreme Court ruling last month that the two-time former premier, whose elected government was ousted by Musharraf in a 1999 coup, had the right to return to Pakistan and that authorities should not obstruct him.

And thus does Musharraf continue his valiant struggle — every day, and in every way — to restore democracy to Pakistan.

(No official U.S. reaction yet. Stand by to see how lightly we rap Musharraf’s knuckles. The only point of interest really: whether we will also simultaneously reaffirm our admiration for Musharraf’s “commitment to democracy and his intent to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions and bring sustainable democracy to Pakistan”.)

*Update by Matt 9:00am PDT: The knuckle rapping via Reuters:

U.S. mildly critical of Sharif deportation

The United States mildly rebuked Pakistan’s government on Monday for deporting former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hours after he returned home from exile vowing to end the rule of President Pervez Musharraf.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the decision to deport Sharif back to Saudi Arabia on Monday went against the Pakistan Supreme Court’s view last month that the former premier had the right to return and the government should not try to stop him.

“The decision to deport him runs contrary to the Supreme Court’s decision but as I said it is still a pending legal matter,” McCormack told reporters, when asked to comment on Sharif’s deportation.

The White House was more muted in its comments and spokesman Tony Snow said Sharif’s deportation was a matter for the Pakistanis to work through.

The patriotism in me just wells up when I read such democracy-promoting statements.