Notes on a scandal
“Who in the world is Mansoor Ijaz?” That was the headline to Newsweek’s cover story, yet it did little in getting answers.
Apart from being Pakistan’s first –gate scandal, which is an accomplishment on its own, in many ways, Memogate is the perfect scandal, in other words, what we have here is a screen play just wanting to happen.
It’s got all the ingredients apart from sex, which ironically just might be the reason it’s such an intriguing scandal.
There’s a mysterious interlocutor, our very own Talented Mr. Ripley in Mansoor Ijaz: A jet-setting, self-proclaimed “ultra-wealthy” Pakistani-American, who lives in the millionaire playground and well-known tax haven of Monaco (Fun Fact: All citizens of Monaco get free cable TV provided by the state). Ijaz is a man who hobnobs with the Clintons, who music producer Herbie Hancock calls “brother” and who possesses a rolodex that would rival most DC lobbyists on K Street. Yet for some reason he cannot digest the fact that he’s an American citizen, something he never fails to mention in interviews with Pakistani media. Also did I mention that he’s “ultra-wealthy”?
Then there’s the seeming scapegoat in now former Ambassador Husain Haqqani, the faithful right-hand man and presumptive author of those well-written New York Times and Washington Post op-eds by President Asif Ali Zardari.
Haqqani seems to have taken the fall for the fiasco, yet he continues to claim his innocence in the matter at the same time playing victim to a conspiracy perpetrated by Ijaz, who has turned from old friend to foe.
Surrounding these two is an American General in Mike Mullen — who must be wondering why they came to him in the first place considering imminent retirement — the Pakistani Military brass and, of course, our benevolent despot in President Asif Ali Zardari, of course I use ‘despot’ in its most positive of connotations.
Zardari just returned home to Karachi after two weeks of medical treatment for reported health scares that ranged from a sudden but mild heart attack to a small stroke, which sent the rumor mills in Pakistan ablaze. But thanks to the miracle doctors in Dubai, (or Hogwarts?) our esteemed leader is alive and well.
Above all is the pesky little memo itself. A document, whose authenticity and whose authorship fluctuates from certain to uncertain depending on the day of the week.The memo is a cry for pre-empting a feared military coup against Zardari, in exchange for which it promises a host of enticing, albeit incredible, concessions and basically hands the country to the US on a silver platter, paid for by our platinum IMF card.
Some of these concessions include:
• Installation of a new national security team in Islamabad filled with pro-American officials.
• Transferring to US custody the leaderships of al Qaeda, the Taliban and the Haqqani insurgent network.
• Giving American forces “carte blanche” to conduct operations on Pakistani territory.
• Bringing greater transparency to Pakistan’s swelling nuclear arsenal.
• Abandoning support of militant groups in Afghanistan.
Lo and behold! The memo has made probable the very possibility it was supposed to preempt. I can hear Camus laughing in his grave at the absurdity of our political landscape.
In the afterglow of this scandal are political opportunists, Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif. As Khan channels his inner Barack Obama with words like “hope” and “change,” and let’s not forget “tsunami” while discretely courting the religious right, Sharif waxes lyrical about his distaste for military interference (you don’t say?!) yet at the same time working every angle to will just such an eventuality.
So the stage is set. The battle lines are drawn. Enter the Supreme Court.
You can just imagine a young Tom Cruise ala “A Few Good Men,” giving a defiant but uncomfortable Zardari the third degree.
TC: I’ll ask for the forth time. You ordered …
AZ: You want answers?
TC: I think I’m entitled to them.
AZ: You want answers?!
TC: I want the truth.
AZ: You can’t handle the truth!
TC: Did you order the memo?
AZ: I did the job I was elected to do.
TC: Did you order the memo?
AZ: Oh look at the kitty …
But let’s get to brass tacks. In the end it really does come down to the initial question. Who in the world is Mansoor Ijaz? And why in the world is he playing footsie with Pakistani politics, especially when he says he has no skin in the game.
How can he claim apathy while having admitted to being involved in some of its most pivotal moments in recent years?
The math simply doesn’t add up.
The writer is a reporter at Dawn.com
I don't know why must we make a scape goat out of Zardari for all our woes. The guy deserves our sympathy. Besides did he not step into the job because BB put her final wishes and gave it in writing. The Supreme Court should have examined that letter which BB wrote. That indeed was the real Memogate.
Having failed in its duty the Establisment and the SC are going after the wrong Memo (who wrote the Memo?). Well gentlemen you missed the real Memo.
Mansur Ijaz;s Memo is not important for Haqqani is all you will get. Nothing more.
in my opinion, the memogate and the 3 suspicious characters clearly directs a sane person to only one thing. looking at the current scenario in the country and some in the past , one comes to the conclusion that zardari is RESPONSIBLE! it seems that mansoor ejaz had some sort of dispute going with hussain haqqani due to which he has exposed everything.. i hope supreme court probes the case in deepest way possible!
I wonder what could be the motives of this court. This court is an odds with the PPP government since its tenure. American want to divide the civil government and army leadership. Country is facing many more serious challenges and this could be a internal dissertators. People are suffering and the country under threat from US and we are watching three wrestler in the muddy filed, the court, government and country. I would have never expected COAS to find himself in this episode. Almost all leadership of US met president expect Obama, why he could have not told them to help him, rather he asked ambassador through this Mr. Ijaz.
In my Kafkaesque view of Pak-Am 'intelligence' activities, Mansoor Ijaz is not business man a double agent
Its really strange.. watching COAS saying that this memo could have a bad impact on the morale of army and it needs to be investigated… with humble request did the may 2nd incident raised the morale of army? Don't you think that it was a more serious matter then this memo thing…… God knows when the real civilian power will rule this country. I believe that there is no harm in having a good faith in Imran Khan.
Zardari asked Hiqqani to write the memo, i have no doubts about it. Both must be prosecuted.
The writeup could have been composed by Art Buckwald, but the principal characters won't be laughing, like they used to after reading the US humorist's pieces.
Very good writing, clearly puts the facts together for those who wants to know.
Good article
Interesting to read
and very impartial
I don’t know why are we making the memo such a big deal, before the memo we had the “wicky leaks” which had far worst stupidity that every single politician of the country seems to have portrayed and yet no one cared….. I would say stop wasting time and money and bring the focus for the betterment of the nation.
How do you propose this focus when all those that are supposed to focus on the nation are busy hatching these plots – any suggestions?
Well if you ask me, dealing with the scandal and bring justice to those involved is for the betterment of the country. Wake up.
Why bring only civilians to justice is betterment for the country? how about bringing to justice the military??
I loved the Tom Cruise part in your article. Secretly, I imagined the rest of the argument. Poor Zardari!
The writ-up clearly spells out the feigned or real ambiguities that are eating into the political structure of the country.
I like the article too much. Though material was not new to add any knowledge to most. But i like the script; the way it was picturized. U got material to be good director; Gud luck
An excellent piece of work and remember you don't have to confuse your self in this mathematics rather it is algebra for some and urdu qaida for many. This time the situation is different for the caste but the results will soon be the same. So relax and enjoy.
well said Khalid
USA achieved all what was planned bt planting MEMO in Pakistan and ALL played inti US hands,thanls shortsighted politicians and establisment through unnecessary litigation, without checking the FASIQs assertions of Pak origin holding US nationality. However, the establisment succededin dislodging HAQQANI-USA network.