[Mb-civic] NYTimes.com Article: Editorial: Nourishing the Muslim World

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Editorial: Nourishing the Muslim World

October 25, 2004
 


 

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.


Pakistan's biggest industry is textiles, accounting for 45
percent of its manufacturing jobs. Pakistani textile and
apparel workers have produced everything from Perry Ellis
slacks to Gap shirts. But General Musharraf has enraged
fundamentalist Muslims by trying to please Washington on
Afghanistan and Iraq. So television images of anti-American
fervor in Pakistan often leave companies skittish about
doing business there. But the more dependent Pakistanis
become on American companies for their livelihood, the less
likely they are to join anti-American insurgencies.
Washington can help by encouraging American companies,
through import duty relief, to remain in Pakistan. 

This will become even more urgent after Dec. 31, when the
import quotas that long protected textile companies will
disappear. China, with its quick turnaround times and
highly efficient factories, could quickly quash all
competitors. 

It's a safe bet that the minute clothing imports from China
spike, American textile firms will invoke the protection
clause they strong-armed into the agreement permitting
China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2000.
It's just as certain that Congress and whoever is president
will pander to the American manufacturers. The politics of
protection won't change on New Year's Eve. 

He who lobbies the hardest will still get the most goodies.
But import duties will replace quotas as the buy-off of
choice. So why not offer some economic nourishment to
America's few Muslim allies? Bush administration officials
say they want a free-trade accord with Middle East
countries, and that's all to the good. But they are
resisting calls to expand the pact to other Muslim
countries. If they are squeamish about a trade pact based
on religion, they can initiate pacts with specific
countries, like Pakistan, Indonesia and Afghanistan. 

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. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/25/opinion/25mon1.html?ex=1099723492&ei=1&en=c3fde130ef890e03


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