Today's editorial:

Three weeks ago, the Commerce Minister of Pakistan came to Washington to meet with his American counterparts. His request was familiar: that the Bush administration lower the odious duties on underwear and shirts from Pakistan, and consider a free-trade pact with the predominantly Muslim country. The response was also familiar: no.

In the din of campaign screeds about national security, the exchange did not draw a mention from either candidate. But it highlights a fundamental flaw in America's economic relationship with querulous allies in the so-called war on terrorism. If President Bush wants to reach out to the Muslim world, there are few better things he can do than allow greater access to the American market. Exporting textiles is a critical step for poorer nations to becoming full participants in the world economy.

Unhappily, in rejecting Pakistan's reasonable request in favor of protecting a dying but politically powerful textile industry in the American South, the Bush administration missed a chance to put some truth behind its oratory about winning the hearts and minds of the Islamic world. Certainly, Mr. Bush can continue to buy off Pakistan's military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, with F-16's and money for battling insurgents on the Afghan border. But that shortsighted policy fails to take into account the convergence of economics and national security. [...]

Economics cannot be separated from national security. Young Pakistanis who can't get jobs in factories that export to America sometimes go to training camps to learn how to kill Americans.

One more reason to elect John Kerry, who isn't nearly as beholden to the textile lobby or the defense industry.

NOTE of EVENT (pdf) -- October 20, Washington DC
Discussion with Ambdr Carlos Pascual, Coordinator, Office of Reconstruction and Stabilization, State Dept.
2:00-3:30 PM, Center for Strategic & International Studies

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If we hadn't learned the lesson from Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Haiti and Somalia, certainly Afghanistan and Iraq have taught us that the process of moving from full-blown combat operations to "normalcy" for a country torn by conflict requires what MC MasterChef has called "militarized nation-building": a complex deployment of military and civilian resources. The lack of coordination among US government departments and agencies prior to the Iraq invasion has been a common theme of the stream of post-mortems that continue to appear.

With a complete absence of fanfare, the Bush Admin has charged the State Department with tackling the Gordian knot of jurisdictional confusion and bureaucratic paralysis that has plagued post-conflict activities from planning through execution. A new unit attached at the Secretary level, the Office of Reconstruction and Stabilization, was apparently created by Powell in early August, though it didn't make it onto the press radar screen until a press release and briefing by State in late September.   more »