WRG Worksheet 5: South Asia and Subsaharan Africa
South Asia
Background:
As President, Musharraf has found himself in a tenuous position. He gained office in a military coup in 1999 and has served as both President and head of the military since, something that runs against Constitutional protocol. His term as president was to expire in January and, as per the Constitution, he was not permitted to run again. Since he could not legally run again for the presidency, especially if he was still in uniform, he faced multiple dilemmas: attempt to run by asking Parliament and the Supreme Court to make exception to the Constitution permitting him to run again as President, risk giving up his position as head of military in the event Parliament and Supreme Court would not approve of his running again for election, join in partnership with one of several formerly exiled Prime Ministers and gain a rigged majority in Parliament through them that would then give him permission to abandon the Constitution and remain in power, or declare a state of emergency (which is really the declaration of martial law) that effectively puts the President in charge of everything while tossing democracy out the window.
However, while running this supposedly democratic country as a type of dictatorship, he has been the glue that has held the country together. The country is volatile and extremely unstable, and if nuclear-bomb-capable Pakistan falls to the forces in the northwest, this could trigger untold calamities in Kashmir, India, Afghanistan, Central Asia, etc.
Request (via email to me) lecture notes and a current article from The Economist.
1. US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has just selected you to brief her on what should be done in Pakistan on several fronts. Generate a one-paragraph summary for each of the following (a, b, and c), making suggestions as to what steps Pakistan should take and why (make certain you demonstrate you are aware of the issues). (Length – I consider the Background paragraph above a good example of a one-paragraph summary answer)
a. The leadership of Musharraf – (consider such aspects as: is he valuable enough to keep, under any terms? Should he go? Value of democracy vs. stability? Should marital law continue? Should elections be held? What is risk of ousting him? Etc.) (see related article already emailed)
b. Kashmir (just do this VERY briefly, stating and justifying your solution) (pgs 396 and 400)
c. The northwest/Tribal areas -- as per video Return of the Taliban, which you may revisit at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/taliban/ (consider some of the following: sending in more Pakistani troops, ignoring the situation, sending in US troops, affects on Afghanistan, etc.)
Subsaharan Africa
Background:
The African Union has asked you to brief the next US President on some of Subsaharan Africa’s most pressing concerns. Skim your text and review class notes (recalling videos and lecture). Pay close text attention to the following: Environment and Health, pages 280 – 284; Colonization/Berlin Conference/Legacies, pages 287 – 292 and 313; Modern Map and Traditional Society, pages 294 – 295; and Economic Problems, page 295. Some topics to consider might have to do with poverty, health, wars, corruption, natural resource dependence (minerals and oil), boundaries, ethnicity, and leadership.
2. In this briefing, you are asked to identify four major topics that you feel are of the utmost concern today and provide a one-paragraph summary of each of those so the President can then ask his/her staff to begin research on these topics. One of your topics may be regional/state-specific, if you so desire.
3. You have been asked to move to Subsaharan Africa to provide continual advice to the next President and will spend six months each living in two countries. Which two countries will you select and why? (obviously just a few sentences)
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