A test for US allies: How they treat women

WASHINGTON - To win the war on terror, the US needs allies it can trust. Some countries deserve to be considered friends of the US, and some don't. A US ally should share the ideals of liberty and justice - or at least be moving toward the adoption of these values. And it is especially critical for America to know which countries it can depend on in the Muslim world.

The US considers both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to be allies in the terror war. But only Pakistan is worthy of this status. A simple look at how each nation treats women reveals why.

There has been much talk about the recent steps Pakistan has taken to ensure that rape victims are able to properly seek justice. According to the former law in Pakistan, a rape victim was obligated to present four male witnesses to corroborate her story. Failure to do so could possibly lead to the victim's execution on charges of adultery. But a change to this law, enacted Dec. 1, was pushed hard by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who has struggled to subdue Islamic extremist movements throughout his country.

There have been times when some have questioned Mr. Musharraf's commitment to the war on terror and ending Islamic extremism as a whole, but this step toward equal rights suggests that Pakistan is on a progressive path.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/ymainen

It's something to think about.
And it's something we should be doing.

"Better than Saudi Arabia" is not exactly a ringing endorsement, and besides, they have nukes and have supported the Taliban.

Other than that, I agree that to be considered worthy of being an ally, a country should give equal legal status to all its citizens.