US space program
Gwynne Dyer’s article “Armstrong over space program abandonment” (Sept. 3) clearly brings to light the desuetude into which the American space program has fallen and from which it must extricate itself if it is to ensure that it is not overtaken in the space race by countries which have embarked upon the development of rocket based technology.
Whether the core problem is President Barack Obama’s lack of visionary foresight or whether the focus is firmly on budgetary allocation issues — as in Dyer’s observation “some other spending program just yelled louder, maybe the navy wanted another aircraft carrier” — an added dimension to this debate should be one in which is encompassed a critical analysis of the vast financial, material and intellectual resources which have for so long been misdirected toward the conduct of futile and unwinnable wars in far flung corners of the world, and the means by which these could be re-routed toward a reactivation of the space program and the upgrading of general astronomical research. — Francis A. Andrew & Gihan Weerasekara, by e-mail
Pakistan’s judiciary
It is difficult to understand why the Supreme Court of Pakistan has even bothered to form a one-man commission to look into the financial affairs of two private parties (out of which one happens to be the chief justice’s son). It may choose to decide in favor of Dr. Arsalan Iftikhar without resorting to any investigation and prosecution. Who can challenge the commission (better say who can dare to challenge it as it may trigger contempt charges).
Earlier, one of the honorable judges had remarked that no one would be allowed to bring dishonor to the chief justice’s family, now we understand the implications of these remarks. When someone runs the court as a private enterprise, the result is very obvious — not to allow the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the corruption charges against Arsalan. When the Supreme Court is bent on looking for even lame excuses/pretexts to take over the investigation, then the government, attorney general, the NAB, Federal Investigation Agency and other organizations will have no say in the investigation process. — Masood Khan, Jubail
West’s double standard
How serious is Julian Assange’s case as compared to Augusto Pinochet’s? The Chilean dictator was accused of killing 3,917 and torturing 29,000 of his own people during his 17-year repressive rule, after toppling the democratically elected President Salvador Allende in a bloody coup with the help of the CIA. Pinochet was on an international warrant but never tried for many cases filed against him until his death in December 2006. Britain also never did anything beyond arresting him in London, then let him go scot-free.
Was it because Pinochet was an ally of the US and other Western countries while Assange is not?
Now, we read with great interest about the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s call for Tony Blair and George W. Bush to be tried over Iraq war. We recall that very recently Tutu pulled out of a leadership summit in Johannesburg because he refused to share the platform with Blair. Tutu said the death toll as a result of military action in Iraq since 2003 was good enough to try Bush and Blair in The Hague. He said those responsible for these deaths should be treading the same path as some of the African and Asian leaders have been made to answer for their actions in The Hague. He said different standards appeared to be applied to Western leaders. When will we see an end to this injustice by this continued double standard adopted by the West? — S.H. Moulana, Riyadh
Jinnah’s dream
This is in reference to the column “Rediscovering Jinnah’s dream. « One statement in front of landlords and opportunists cannot make a movement secular. During the entire movement leading to the formation of Pakistan Jinnah never used the word “secular,” he may be personally a secular person with certain vision for Pakistan but even his closest associates were unaware about it until his famous speech of Aug. 11 was delivered in the Constitutent Assembly. Muslim Leauge’s manifesto during elections of 1946 was also vague on this issue. Secular foundation of a state cannot be laid by running a movement based on religion. Jinnah’s movement for creation of Pakistan had profound contradictions which have come back to bite Pakistan today. — Sudhir Singh, By e-mail
Letters: US space program
