Times Of India : Bush endorses Mush again as US works on Plan C

Bush endorses Mush again as US works on Plan C

Chidanand Rajghatta | TNN | November 21, 2007

WASHINGTON: US President George Bush stood up decisively for Pakistan's military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday, calling him a "loyal ally" and a "man of his word" and signaling Washington's full-scale backing for the embattled dictator in the face of wide-spread criticism of US policy.

In an astonishing defense of the now widely-reviled dictator, Bush told ABC News in an interview at his Camp David retreat: "So far I've found him to be a man of his word. He's done more for democracy in Pakistan than any other modern leader has."

The only reservation the US President had about Musharraf was the declaration of Emergency. "But I believe he's gonna end up getting Pakistan back on the road to democracy - I certainly hope so," Bush said.

The US President, who has claimed in the past that he is 'tight' with Musharraf, said the Pakistani dictator has "also advanced democracy in Pakistan. And he's said he'll take off his uniform and said there will be election. Today, he released prisoners."

Bush's ringing endorsement seemed to fly in the face of the facts on the ground and came even as the US engineered power-sharing plans in Pakistan at the expense of its democracy yearnings was coming apart at the seams.

Both US and Pakistani media have pointed out that Musharraf has selectively made common cause with the very extremists Bush credits him with fighting, has repeatedly reneged on promises to demit office and hold free and fair election, and even as he released some prisoners, continued to incarcerate the most respected members of Pakistan's civil society and judiciary.

There are several reasons for Bush's public demonstration of support to Musharraf. From all accounts, the administration has decided for now that it would rather deal with the known devil than unknown consequences. US officials are privately invoking the 1979 Iran scenario, when Washington pulled the plug on the despotic Shah of Iran regime, only to see the Ayatollahs come to power.

To forestall a similar eventuality in Pakistan, it appears the Bush Presidency is hell-bent on forcing a broader partnership between Musharraf and moderate forces, primarily Benazir Bhutto. Since that plan is falling apart, Washington, through its proxy Saudi Arabia, tried to bring about reconciliation between Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif, who it earlier regarded as pro-Islamist.

But that plan too has failed after Sharif declined to meet Musharraf during his visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, forcing the dictator to cut short his visit and hurry back to Pakistan.

So it is back to the drawing board now for Plan C (Musharraf continued), even as the US stand is causing increasing bitterness and heartburn in Pakistan's civil society, which has shown more passion for democracy than have policy makers in Washington.

In the past week, US officials have pointedly undermined Pakistan's judiciary and civil society while paying lip service to democracy and free and fair election. Bush and his aides have tacitly endorsed Musharraf's re-election as "president" for a second term despite its questionable legality. They have also winked at the incarceration of Pakistan's Supreme Court judges and its most distinguished legal mind.

One of the most telling exchanges in this regard took place in Islamabad when visiting US envoy John Negroponte was asked by a BBC correspondent why he had not called for the release and reinstatement of the Chief Justice and the other judges.

Negroponte's response: "We have urged the government to stop the suppression of the media and the arrest of political and human rights leaders. What I did do was to urge the government to stop such actions, to lift the state of emergency, and to release all political detainees."

He pointedly excluded any reference to Musharaff's crackdown on the judiciary and the legal system.