On Point tonight on Swat: Is Pakistan Ripe for Islamic Revolution. (And most importantly: Man on show clearly read my blog and stole my argument.)

On Point with Tom Ashbrook tonight was about your favorite scary topic and mine: Swat. The title, "Is Pakistan Ripe for Islamic Revolution," implies it has a bit more to do with Islam than I am willing to concede, but I am sure it will be an interesting conversation.

I don't mean to toot my own horn but I have to mention: (and at the start bc I know most of you - whoever reads this - probably only read about 5 lines of each posting) One man on the show, Marvin Weinbaum, former CIA and at Middle East Institute now, praised the same article I did last weekend on this blog from the NYTimes AND most importantly, stole my argument about revolution! I mentioned that the situation in Pakistan looked like a revolution to me last Saturday morning, I remember it well because it was the posting that interrupted by egg and bacon breakfast. Marvin, if you're reading this, stop stealing my stuff; and if you do, I'd like a little verbal footnote next time.

Anyway, here are my notes on the show:

Samina Ahmad, Head of South Asia desk at International Crisis Group in Islamabad:
-Spoke at length about Sufi Muhammad, our Red Mosque maniac
-Been unsuccessful throughout past, recently gained strength
-Definitely not gaining strength through popular will, but through fear
-Evidence: they lost all elections int he past

Didn't catch 2nd participant's full name, a Professor Hussein maybe:
-spoke about Taliban's strategy - methodical
-manipulate local animosities
-isolating local community
-ban Internet, radio, tv
-disrupt social structure and political structure
-paralyze police dept
-install new one

3rd guy - Marvin Weinbaum (name??) Middle East Institute, former intelligence analyst
- He mentions the NYTimes article I wrote on last week (for the same reasons!)
(Clearly he has been reading my blog.)
- He says article is important bc it explains how the Taliban are taking advantage of wealth inequalities
-they appeal to the dispossessed of Pakistan
-This is how it will take hold in Punjab
-Beitullah Meshud was a bus driver - not high on totem pole, look at him now, like many other revolutionaries
-this disenfranchisement is linking up with anti Americanism and anti Indian sentiment
(just like what I said last week: anti-americanism is like the anti-imperialism from past revolutions)
***Government is NOT taking this seriously
***All of these things = revolution
- He compares it to the 1979 Iranian Revolution!!! Boy oh boy. Whoaisme.

Point of contention:
Samina states there is not popular support for this extremism

The question running through my mind for the past few days has been "Where in sam hell are you Pakistani military?" I know you boys are friends with some of these guys from way back in the Soviet mujahideen days, but this is getting ridiculous.

Latest news: Taliban in Swat looking to take over Buner.