Surprise: Obama Administration against Pakistani Sharia deal

Gibbs: "The administration believes solutions involving security in Pakistan don't include less democracy and less human rights. The signing of that denoting strict Islamic law in the Swat Valley ... goes against both of those principles."

Why is this a surprise? Because Harold Koh doesn't seem to have any problem with Sharia, and because the Obama Administration, in its many overtures to Iran and the Islamic world in general, has never before raised the slightest objection to Sharia on human rights grounds or any other grounds.

Will the Obama Administration now come out against the Sharia provisions in the Iraqi and Afghan constitutions? Will it begin to oppose, on human rights grounds, stealth jihad initiatives to bring elements of Sharia into the U.S.?

"US critical of Pakistan Islamic law deal in Swat," by Nahal Toosi for AP, April 15 (thanks to James):

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Obama administration says Pakistan's imposition of Islamic law in a northwest valley to quell a Taliban insurgency goes against human rights and democracy, the most pointed American criticism of the deal to date.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs' comments Tuesday came hours after a hard-line cleric who mediated the deal in the Swat Valley indicated it will protect militants accused of brutal killings in the one-time tourist haven from prosecution.

"The administration believes solutions involving security in Pakistan don't include less democracy and less human rights," Gibbs said. "The signing of that denoting strict Islamic law in the Swat Valley ... goes against both of those principles."...