Charleston Post and Courier : Politicians jeopardize surge success

Politicians jeopardize surge success

December 8, 2007

To quote Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, the Iraqi government in Baghdad "must seize this opportunity to try to consolidate this fragile peaceful situation that has developed." Our troops, through the surge planned by Gen. David Petraeus, have delivered the breathing space that Iraqi politicians said they needed to achieve reconciliation, but the long-sought political solution is stymied by political bickering and legislators' lack of urgency. Parliament took another vacation Thursday, suspending sessions until the end of the month.

Following up on the visit of Mr. Negroponte, who was speaking on the PBS "NewsHour," Defense Secretary Robert Gates had a similar message. According to The Associated Press, Mr. Gates told the government of President Nuri al-Maliki Wednesday that the Iraqi people are getting impatient, and that the politicians "need to get on with legislation and sending the message to the rest of their people that they can work together. My hope is that will produce some results fairly soon in some of these key legislative areas."

The key legislative areas are the de-Bathification law that would re-integrate into society thousands of Iraqis who nominally served the Saddam Hussein regime and have been made outcasts; the passing of laws to ensure that oil revenue will be shared fairly and also establish the framework for the exploitation of Iraq's huge reserves; and holding provincial elections to provide representation for the large number of Sunnis who boycotted national elections.

The success of the military surge has raised hopes that must not be dashed by political failure. Secretary Gates noted that with violence at the lowest level in nearly two years, displaced Iraqis are returning in the thousands, foreign investment is increasing, and Iraqi civilians are volunteering to protect their neighborhoods and fight al-Qaida. But progress in the provinces, where tribal leaders are cooperating with U.S. forces, is not being matched by the central government

In an interview with The Boston Globe, Sen. John McCain provided an insight that helps to explain the political impasse in Baghdad. He said that he had personally witnessed sectarian squabbling among the country's leaders and referred to the "Byzantine" legislative process. "They've got something like 41 ministers in their government. Who designed that?" he said.

As an illustration of Sen. McCain's observation, there was a fracas in parliament Thursday between a Shiite lawmaker and a leading Sunni Arab politician who accused each other of inciting sectarian killings.

It must be frustrating for Gen. Petraeus to see military achievements in bringing down car bombings and suicide attacks by 60 percent since March and in improving security going to waste because of political discord.

Gen. Petraeus reminded reporters that al-Qaida is still a very dangerous adversary and that the terrorist organization is likely to stage spectacular attacks to counter the surge's success.

Iraq's politicians should cherish the current "fragile peaceful situation" and take advantage of it to work for political stability.

Thaindian News : In Pakistan, Negroponte courted Kiyani

In Pakistan, Negroponte courted Kiyani

November 21, 2007

Islamabad, Nov.21 (ANI): When Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte visited Pakistan last weekend; he held three meetings with Pakistans Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ashfaq Kiyani, and ony one with President General Pervez Musharraf.

According to the Washington Post, Negroponte and Kiyani also shared a Saturday night dinner, and this probably affirms that he is potentially being seen as a vital ally to the Bush Administration.

“Use your influence. You can help save Pakistan,” Negroponte is believed to have told Kiyani during the visit, according to a Western diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Musharraf has repeatedly said he will step down from his army post. It remains unclear when he will do so.

If Kiyani is named successor, he will command Pakistan’s 600,000 troops and lead the country’s most important institution.

“To understand the power of Pakistan, you have to understand that it’s the military that matters. And they are kingmakers here,” said Shireen M. Mazari of the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.

“I don’t know if that implies that Kiyani can indeed influence Musharraf politically right now. But he may well do in the future, if history is an indicator,” Mazari added.

With the political uncertainty continuing in Pakistan, analysts say Kiyani is key to Musharraf’s own future.

Few say Kiyani would attempt a coup because, for now at least, top military leaders would not support it. And Kiyani, 55, has his own reasons not to press Musharraf to lift emergency rule or resign as president.

“He won’t risk his own job, since time is on his side,” said Talat Masood, a retired Pakistani general who is now a political analyst.

Masood adds that “the U.S. emphasis is correct.”

“They have to cultivate him and make sure they get along well with each other, because if, down the road, the army feels their reputation is sinking along with Musharraf, well, that is when you have seen a change of power in Pakistan throughout history.”

Public support for Musharraf, who was installed in the presidency after a 1999 coup, has never been as low as it is now, following his decision November 3 to declare emergency rule, fire several Supreme Court justices and crack down on the news media.

On Tuesday, the Musharraf regime released more than 3,000 political prisoners who had been held under emergency rule, many of them lawyers.

But the Interior Ministry said 2,000 people remain detained. And in Lahore, a group of lawyers was briefly released and then arrested again.

Pakistan’s army was once the most popular institution in the country. Bumper stickers proclaimed, “Good Men Serve in the Pakistani Army.” Wars with India over Kashmir were a unifying factor against a common enemy.

But Musharraf and the troops he commands have lost support among many Pakistanis.

Throughout the recent turmoil, Kiyani has remained out of the political spotlight. Before becoming the armed forces’ No. 2, the general was head of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s spy agency, where he worked closely with senior CIA and Pentagon officials. He was given that post after investigating two assassination attempts against Musharraf in 2003; the appointment was seen as a reward.

Kiyani has working-class roots, having been raised in farming communities in the Punjab region, sometimes called the country’s “martial belt” because many teenage boys from the province enter the military, lacking other economic opportunities. He attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Colleagues say Kiyani is more knowledgeable about al-Qaeda than any other army general. He is said to have good relations with some of the country’s civilian political leaders, including former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, for whom he served as deputy military secretary.

Kiyani is known to show few emotions publicly and takes time to think over decisions, which analysts say could be a calming trait in the current political turbulence.

Nasim Zehra, a defense and security analyst in Islamabad, said that, “As a Pakistani, I have full confidence in Kiyani. He’s Pakistan’s professional soldier and not interested in power and politics. But the truth is, I would have said that about Musharraf in 1999.” (ANI)

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.

WaPo : In Pakistan, U.S. Envoy Courts No. 2 General

In Pakistan, U.S. Envoy Courts No. 2 General

Deputy Could Succeed Musharraf as Army Chief

By Emily Wax | Washington Post Foreign Service | November 21, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 20 -- When Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte visited Pakistan last weekend, he met once with President Pervez Musharraf, for two hours. But before he left town, he held three meetings with a lesser-known figure: Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, the deputy army chief.

The two shared a Saturday night dinner.

The attention paid to Kiyani has affirmed reports here that he will soon be anointed Musharraf's successor as head of the army -- and, as such, will be a vital ally for the Bush administration during a time of crisis.

"Use your influence. You can help save Pakistan," Negroponte told Kiyani during the visit, according to a Western diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Musharraf has repeatedly said he will step down from his army post. It remains unclear when he will do so. If Kiyani is named successor, he will command Pakistan's 600,000 troops and lead the country's most important institution.

Power in Pakistan flows from the uniform, as a popular saying here goes. Half of the country's rulers have been sons of the military.

"To understand the power of Pakistan, you have to understand that it's the military that matters. And they are kingmakers here," said Shireen M. Mazari of the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad. "I don't know if that implies that Kiyani can indeed influence Musharraf politically right now. But he may well do in the future, if history is an indicator."

Public support for Musharraf, who was installed in the presidency after a 1999 coup, has never been as low as it is now, following his decision Nov. 3 to declare emergency rule, fire several Supreme Court justices and crack down on the news media.

On Tuesday, Musharraf's government released more than 3,000 political prisoners who had been held under emergency rule, many of them lawyers. But the Interior Ministry said 2,000 people remain detained. And in Lahore, a group of lawyers was briefly released and then arrested again.

Meanwhile, police detained 150 journalists in the southern city of Karachi, where violence broke out after police sprayed tear gas, used batons to beat protesters and chased them through the streets. Several journalists were shown on television injured.

Musharraf flew to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday amid reports that he might be meeting with Nawaz Sharif -- the prime minister ousted in the '99 coup.

With the political uncertainty continuing in Pakistan, analysts say Kiyani is key to Musharraf's own future.

Few say Kiyani would attempt a coup because, for now at least, top military leaders would not support it. And Kiyani, 55, has his own reasons not to press Musharraf to lift emergency rule or resign as president.

"He won't risk his own job, since time is on his side," said Talat Masood, a retired Pakistani general who is now a political analyst.

Masood added that "the U.S. emphasis is correct."

"They have to cultivate him and make sure they get along well with each other," he said. "Because if, down the road, the army feels their reputation is sinking along with Musharraf, well, that is when you have seen a change of power in Pakistan throughout history."

Pakistan's army was once the most popular institution in the country. Bumper stickers proclaimed, "Good Men Serve in the Pakistani Army." Wars with India over Kashmir were a unifying factor against a common enemy.

But Musharraf and the troops he commands have lost support among many Pakistanis. The president has been criticized for undermining national interests in favor of the Bush administration's in counterterrorism operations. Public approval of the military sank after soldiers launched a deadly raid at a pro-Taliban mosque in Islamabad, with troops facing off against religious students.

Throughout the recent turmoil, Kiyani has remained out of the political spotlight.

Before becoming the armed forces' No. 2, the general was head of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan's spy agency, where he worked closely with senior CIA and Pentagon officials. He was given that post after investigating two assassination attempts against Musharraf in 2003; the appointment was seen as a reward.

Kiyani has working-class roots, having been raised in farming communities in the Punjab region, sometimes called the country's "martial belt" because many teenage boys from the province enter the military, lacking other economic opportunities. He attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Colleagues say Kiyani is more knowledgeable about al-Qaeda than any other army general. He is said to have good relations with some of the country's civilian political leaders, including former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, for whom he served as deputy military secretary.

Kiyani is known to show few emotions publicly and takes time to think over decisions, which analysts say could be a calming trait in the current political turbulence.

"The real question now is: Can Kiyani foster a better public image of the army and gain support within the army for what they are doing against their own brothers in fighting militancy in the tribal areas and in the Swat Valley?" said Nasim Zehra, a defense and security analyst in Islamabad. "As a Pakistani, I have full confidence in Kiyani. He's Pakistan's professional soldier and not interested in power and politics. But the truth is, I would have said that about Musharraf in 1999."

Scoop : John Negroponte Press Conference In Bamako, Mali

John Negroponte Press Conference In Bamako, Mali

Press Release: US State Department | November 19, 2007

John D. Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State
Bamako, Mali
November 15, 2007

Press Conference in Bamako, Mali

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: (Translated from French) It is an honor and a pleasure to be with you today. This is my first visit to Mali and I count myself fortunate to have witnessed for myself the warm hospitality and rich cultural heritage that defines this country.

I arrived in Timbuktu, where I had an opportunity to visit one of the oldest mosques in Africa and see the ancient manuscripts of Abdel Kader Haidara. Before that I was in Ouagadougou where I met with President Compaore and Prime Minister Zongo to discuss the Ouagadougou accords and the situation in Burkina Faso. Before that, I visited Abuja, Nigeria for meetings with President Yaradua and other officials. I began my trip to Africa in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, where I met with President Gbagbo, Prime Minister Soro and leaders of the opposition. We discussed the Ouagadougou Accords and the need to implement them quickly. In all of my stops, including here in Mali, I met with members of civil society.

While in Bamako, I have met with President Amadou Toumani Toure and Foreign Minister Ouane, as well as with key members of Malian civil society.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government and people of Mali for their excellent organization of the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies in Bamako. Mali's commitment to democracy and human rights is well-known and applauded around the world.

The link between development and democracy underpins the United States government's support for Africa as a whole and this region in particular. Through programs as diverse as USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Presidential Malaria Initiative, the Department of Defense Humanitarian Assistance program and State Department small grant funds, the United States government is helping Mali strengthen its democratic tradition. We look forward to continuing our long-standing and mutually beneficial friendship.

I am now happy to take any questions you may have.

QUESTION: (Translated from French) RFI and AFP: I would like to ask a question about security in the trans-Sahel region. In the north of Mali, hostages have been taken. What do you think of that, particularly since it is in the area that borders Algeria? What are your relations with Algeria in regards to counterterrorism? And, finally, what are the U.S. intentions in regards to the installation of, I would not say a military base, but a small presence of military soldiers in the Sahel to fight against terrorism and provide security?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: What I would say - and I would like to respond to you in English - is that, first of all, we have excellent cooperation in the field of security with the government of Mali, and mostly in the form of training and exercises. That activity is carried out in large measure because of the concerns that you just mentioned. As far as our cooperation with Algeria is concerned in the field of counterterrorism, we have good cooperation with Algeria. But I think just as important could be the improved understanding and cooperation between Algeria and Mali. And it is my understanding that your President will be visiting Algeria quite soon, and surely the situation on the border will be one of the most important topics of conversation. But in any event, this is an area in which we want to work with both governments, but we are certainly not seeking any kind of military bases or military presence by the United States in the area.

QUESTION: (Translated from French) L'Independent In regards to the security situation in the North, Bahanga has used anti-personnel mines in the North and we also know well that the United States military is there. Is the United States is in the process of trying to find ways to help Mali with a de-mining process?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: When you say that American forces are in the North, again I would say that, as I said before, our military activities are in the field of training and joint exercises and not in the form of any kind of enduring presence. And as far as the mines are concerned, it is simply an area that I do not personally know anything about what specific measures could be taken. But certainly we want to be supportive of the Government of Mali in its efforts to ensure security in that region.

QUESTION: (Translated from French) France 24 They speak about (inaudible) for American military that is now based in Germany. Could Mali be a host government to this new organization?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: This is a question of AFRICOM. As you correctly point out, there has been established an African Command, but that command for the moment continues to be situated in Europe and no decision has yet been taken as to where in Africa it might be situated. But as I said yesterday in Ouagadougou in reply to a similar question, our decision process with regard to where AFRICOM will be located will be done in consultation with affected governments and in complete transparency.

And I can tell you, because I think this will anticipate what you are about to say, this is not a subject that I discussed with either the President or the Foreign Minister today.

QUESTION: (Translated from French) France 24 Has the resumption of the Tuareg rebellion changed your plans for Mali?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: I think that our plans and our cooperation with Mali have been consistent in recent times and will continue to be so.

OK, over here, I will take two more questions.

QUESTION: (Translated from French) Radio Kledu and VOA We have spoken of the security situation in Mali and the Ouagadougou Accords, but, during your time in Africa, are you addressing any specific situation on the continent or elsewhere - such as Darfur or Pakistan, where there are problems with democracy?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Those were subjects that I discussed in some of my bilateral meetings in the course of my trip. But in this stop here in Bamako, the focus has really been on the one hand, our bilateral relationship with the people and government of Mali and, on the other hand, our global commitment to democracy which we will be going to talk about very shortly.

Last question.

QUESTION: (Translated from French) Reuters On the international scene, there is the issue of Pakistan (inaudible). What will be the message you take there? Will you meet with President Musharraf?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: You correctly point out that I will be going to Pakistan after this stop here in Mali. The political process in Pakistan has been derailed. Our message is that we want to work with the government and people of Pakistan and the political actors in Pakistan to put the political process back on track as soon as possible. My schedule is not completely defined yet and, I think as far as any details about my trip, I think it would be better that I wait until I arrive in Pakistan before discussing those matters with the media.

Thank you.

Released on November 16, 2007

ENDS

Dawn : Benazir ‘waiting for’ Musharraf response

Benazir ‘waiting for’ Musharraf response

By Anwar Iqbal | November 18, 2007

WASHINGTON -- PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto appears to have softened her attitude towards President Pervez Musharraf following a visit by a top US envoy to Islamabad, which aimed at promoting reconciliation between her and the general.

Although still critical of Gen Musharraf, Ms Bhutto said in an interview to CNN on Sunday that she was waiting for him to respond to the message Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte brought from Washington.

Reports in the US media suggest that Mr Negroponte asked both Ms Bhutto and Gen Musharraf to shelve their differences and revive a power-sharing deal.

The US envoy spoke with Ms Bhutto before a 90-minute meeting with Gen Musharraf, which a US official described to The Washington Post as “short of tough love, but still tough”.“It was made clear that if things don’t change, aid money could be cut, and it was very serious and on the table,” the official said.The New York Times noted that Mr Negroponte met Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani twice. “The time and attention paid to General Kayani, a pro-Western moderate, seemed to signal American support for him,” the newspaper said.

In her interview to CNN Late Edition, Ms Bhutto twice avoided criticising Gen Musharraf when asked to do so, telling the interviewer instead: “I know where you want to take me.”

The interviewer also played the tape of an earlier interview with Gen Musharraf who accused Ms Bhutto of using his conciliatory gesture to come to Pakistan and later taking a confrontational stance against him. The interviewer then asked her if she still wanted to send him a reconciliatory message.

Ms Bhutto, who usually uses such opportunities to hit back with full force, politely said: “If Gen Musharraf is not responding to Washington’s call to retire (as chief of army staff), and Washington is giving him $10 billion, I wonder he would be ever ready to respond to my call for a political reconciliation.

She said she had made a reconciliatory arrangement with Gen Musharraf to “avoid the mess we are in today.” But when Gen Musharraf suspended the Constitution she came to the conclusion that he was not interested in giving the opposition a fair chance.

When the interviewer asked if she was going to reconsider her decision now, Ms Bhutto said: “I know where you are taking me. Let’s first see if he responds to Washington.”

She said for holding fair and free elections, Gen Musharraf needed to reconstruct the Election Commission, suspend existing nazims who could manipulate the elections and take other steps.

Gen Musharraf, she said, also needed to send a powerful message to the militants that they could not get away with attacking politicians by calling in international investigators to probe the attack on her procession.

Ms Bhutto said the government’s decision to release her and other political prisoners was timed to coincide with Mr Negroponte’s visit to send a positive signal to Washington. Several thousand political workers, however, were still behind bars, she added.

Ms Bhutto said the US envoy did the right thing in publicly asking the Musharraf government to lift the curbs on the media, release political workers and retire as COAS.

The nation, she said, was waiting for Gen Musharraf to give a fixed date to retire as army chief but he had not done so.

Ms Bhutto also responded to former US Secretary of Madeleine Albright’s recent statement that as bad as Gen Musharraf might be, he had made a major contribution to fighting terrorism.

Ms Bhutto said what the general had done was not enough as terrorists were spreading their tentacles from the tribal to settled areas of the NWFP and were also knocking at the doors of Islamabad.

She said that in Swat the government was conducting carpet-bombing which was also killing innocent civilians.

Ms Bhutto said she would like to see the local population co-opted against the terrorists.

Invited to comment on an article her niece Fatima Bhutto wrote in the Los Angeles Times, attacking her as a leader who had no principles and was willing to compromise her principles to gain power, Ms Bhutto said: “I know my niece is angry with me” but what she had done aimed at ensuring that fair and free elections were held in Pakistan.

Telegraph : Imran Khan on hunger strike in prison

Imran Khan on hunger strike in prison

By Richard Holt and Duncan Hooper | November 20, 2007

The Pakistani cricket captain turned politician Imran Khan has gone on hunger strike in prison to protest against the emergency rule imposed across the country.

His spokesman said he was prepared to go "as far as it takes" to get President Pervez Musharraf to lift the de facto martial law he imposed on Nov 3.

"He is on hunger strike until the judiciary is restored to the status it was at before the imposition of emergency rule," Seth Niazi told the BBC.

"Seeing that he is now locked up in jail, there is no other way of protesting - so this is the only way and this is what he has chosen to do," he added.

Mr Khan is facing terrorism charges after being arrested last week in a crackdown on rivals by Gen Musharraf.

Mr Khan went into hiding when he escaped from house arrest imposed shortly after emergency rule was declared.

But when he appeared at a student demonstration in Lahore last week he was detained by hardline students and handed over to police, the authorities said.

Pakistan's Supreme Court, reconstituted by Gen Musharraf following the introduction of emergency rule, has dismissed the main challenges to the president's right to rule.

Fears that the court might uphold complaints that the military chief could not also hold the position of head of state, prompted Gen Musharraf to replace many of the judges including chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who remains under house arrest.

Once the court completely clears the result of the Oct 6 vote, Gen Musharraf has promised to step down as army chief and be sworn in as a civilian president as soon as possible.

Yesterday the president said he was asking the Election Commission to call a parliamentary election on January 8.

"Inshallah (God willing), the general elections in the country would be held on January 8," the official Associated Press of Pakistan news agency quoted Gen Musharraf as saying. But he gave no date for lifting the state of emergency, despite pressure over the weekend from the US.

John Negroponte, the US deputy secretary of state, said that he had "urged the government to lift the state of emergency and release all political detainees", reiterating that "emergency rule is not compatible with free, fair and credible elections".

However, Pakistani officials dismissed the significance of Mr Negroponte's visit, indicating that the White House had not brought to bear any threat of cutting its massive military aid.

Gen Musharraf has insisted that he would only lift emergency rule if the security situation improved, and strongly hinted that such a move was unlikely before parliamentary elections scheduled to be held by Jan 9.

He will visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah, the president's first foreign trip since emergency rule was imposed.

WaPo : Pakistan Bolstering Forces in Northwest

Pakistan Bolstering Forces in Northwest

By Emily Wax | Washington Post Foreign Service | November 19, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 18 -- Pakistan's military said Sunday it was dispatching forces to quell fighting in the country's volatile northwest after three days of clashes between rival Sunni and Shiite Muslims left 91 people dead.

Military officials said an unspecified number of soldiers and a paramilitary force were headed to the town of Parachinar, in the remote Kurram tribal area, where the government maintains limited control.

Both sides fired mortars and other heavy weapons at each other, targeting residential areas and hitting mosques, an intelligence official speaking on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press.

Violence between Shiites and Sunnis is common in Parachinar. In the spring, 50 people were killed after clashes led to an attack on a Shiite mosque.

More than 1,000 security forces, civilians and fighters have been killed in the past five months in Pakistan. Much of the violence has occurred in the Swat Valley, an area in North-West Frontier Province once known to tourists as the Switzerland of South Asia.

Pakistani army officials said government forces killed 100 fighters loyal to a pro-Taliban cleric in three days of fierce battles in the northern Swat Valley. Forces loyal to the cleric had been gaining ground in recent weeks, capturing several towns in the valley. In the adjacent Shangla district, they have seized government buildings with little resistance from security forces.

Also Sunday, a bomb exploded on a railway line as a passenger train was moving through near Peshawar, capital of North-West Frontier Province, which borders Afghanistan. One passenger was killed.

The violence came during Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte's visit to Pakistan to encourage embattled President Pervez Musharraf to end emergency rule, which he declared Nov. 3. The decree has resulted in the arrests of thousands of political opponents, the firing of Supreme Court judges and the shuttering of independent television stations.

At a news conference early Sunday, Negroponte praised Musharraf's efforts in the fight against terrorism, saying the recent violence was "yet another reason to be concerned about the situation in Pakistan."

But Negroponte also said he told Musharraf that the emergency law needed to be lifted and political prisoners released to ensure legitimate parliamentary elections in January.

[Musharraf has recommended the Election Commission call for a parliamentary election to be held Jan. 8, Reuters news service reported Monday.]

Musharraf aides said he told Negroponte that the emergency would not be lifted because of "the ground realities in our security situation in Pakistan."

The United States has increasingly found Musharraf to be a liability since his declaration of emergency rule. But Negroponte said the two governments were still friendly.

"In diplomacy, as you know, we don't get instant replies when we have these kinds of dialogue," he said. "I'm sure the president is seriously considering the exchange we had."

Thaindian News : Negroponte was tougher on Benazir than Musharraf, claims sources

Negroponte was tougher on Benazir than Musharraf, claims sources

November 19th, 2007

Islamabad, Nov 19 (ANI): US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was tougher on former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and what he told to President General Pervez Musharraf was a public posture directed more to placate home audience, particularly the media which has become extremely hostile to the steps taken by Musharraf, sources have revealed.

If Negroponte was tough, he was tough to Benazir and not to Musharraf. He talked to her on telephone and dropped plans to meet her, ostensibly at Musharrafs urgings who feared it would convey wrong message to home audience, The Nation quoted the sources, as saying.

The Bush Administration seems willing to buy the Generals arguments that emergency was inevitable to combat terrorism, save nuclear assets from falling into wrong hands and checking the judicial activism that had encouraged extremists.

The gullible PPP leadership, which had pinned unrealistic hopes on Negropontes visit, has, understandably, been greatly disappointed by this outcome.

Negroponte was all praise for Musharraf in remarks to newsmen before departure. He, however, wanted Benazir to restart negotiations and abandon the path of confrontation she had recently adopted.

If steps were taken by both sides to move back towards the kind of reconciliation discussions they had been having, we think that would be very positive, Negroponte said adding that such talks would help improve the political environment.

Engagement and dialogue - not brinkmanship and confrontation, should be the order of the day for all parties, he said.

Musharraf argued that Benazirs abrasive statements against him and his coalition partners were nothing but brinkmanship to exert pressure on him and wrest certain advantages in the run-up to the elections, the source told the daily.

It struck me that the Americans are least enthusiastic about Nawaz, an official said. (ANI)

The Statesman (India) : USA pushes Pervez to shed uniform & end Emergency

USA pushes Pervez to shed uniform & end Emergency

PTI & Ap | November 17, 2007

Islamabad: The USA today delivered a “strong message” to embattled Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to end Emergency and doff uniform as senior American envoy Mr John Negroponte held talks with the General and the man tipped to succeed him as the army chief.

Amidst stepped up US efforts to persuade the military ruler to restore democracy, Mr Negroponte, US deputy secretary of state who is the highest-ranking American official to visit Pakistan since imposition of Emergency on 3 November, met the military ruler and Gen Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiyani, who is to replace Musharraf as army chief once he doffs uniform.

Mr Negroponte, who spoke on phone with former premier Ms Benazir Bhutto shortly after his arrival here yesterday, discussed the “political situation” with President Musharraf, state-run PTV reported.

President Musharraf accused the former Premier of wanting to avoid the general election due in January, saying that “the darling of the West” was unlikely to win. “She would not like to go into an election because her PPP is not in a state to win at all,” he said in an interview to BBC.

WaPo : Musharraf Rejects U.S. Pressure to Lift Emergency Rule

Musharraf Rejects U.S. Pressure to Lift Emergency Rule

By Emily Wax and Imtiaz Ali | Washington Post Foreign Service | November 18, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 17 -- President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday rebuffed pressure from a senior U.S. envoy to revoke emergency rule in a tense meeting meant to quell the political turmoil in Pakistan, envoys said.

Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte delivered a "very strong message" urging Musharraf to end the state of emergency, step down as head of the military and release of thousands of political prisoners.

Negroponte also met with Pakistan's deputy army commander, Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, a pro-Western leader expected to take over as military chief in the coming weeks if Musharraf steps down as head of the army and starts a second term as a civilian president.

Negroponte's meeting with Kiyani was a sign that the United States was looking to court other possible leaders who could keep the country stable and be a partner in its fight against terrorism, analysts said.

Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, now a chief rival to Musharraf, spoke to Negroponte by telephone hours after she was released from house arrest. She reportedly told him she could no longer work with Musharraf and was focusing on building an opposition that could pressure him to step down.

Negroponte is expected to speak publicly about his meetings Sunday.

A key ally in U.S. counterterrorism efforts, Musharraf has said he declared emergency rule Nov. 3 to give him a freer hand in battling militant groups in the country's northwest, where Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters operate.

However, Western diplomats and Musharraf's aides have said privately that his main objective was to prevent the Supreme Court from ruling his Oct. 6 reelection invalid.

Musharraf said in an interview Friday that he would tell the United States that he was the only leader capable of "protecting and safeguarding Pakistan."

"Our country has bombers and terrorists. We need to fight the terrorists and we need the emergency for a peaceful environment," he said.

His aides said he repeated those views in the meeting with Negroponte. "The war on terror needs Musharraf," one of the aides said on condition of anonymity. "Musharraf is good for America."

But the United States is increasingly finding Musharraf to be a liability since he suspended the constitution, dissolved the Supreme Court and jailed his political opponents, Western diplomats said.

Meanwhile, thousands of journalists in Karachi and Islamabad protested the blackout of Geo TV and ARY, two of Pakistan's largest and most popular news networks. Both had been broadcasting via satellite from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

Station owners said they were forced to take their broadcasts off the air after Musharraf pressured the government in the UAE to shut them down.

Waving placards and posters that read "Press and Nation Rise and Fall Together" and "World Press in Chains," journalists said the sudden blackout of the stations showed the limits of satellite television, which has been the primary source of information here since Musharraf declared emergency law and shut down dozens of private channels.

"The tentacles of Musharraf have spread all the way to Dubai. This was a sanctuary for us, and now the government's pulled our final links to the world down," said Imran Aslam, president of the Geo network, speaking in a telephone interview from Karachi. "I think this raises even more questions for the U.S. to address."

Geo, a major news source for Pakistanis living abroad, and ARY both refused to sign Musharraf's new code of conduct for journalists that sets fines of up to $40,000 and three-year jail sentences if their coverage "ridicules" the president or other government officials.

"Musharraf is calling us anti-state, which he must equate as anti-government," said Kashif Abbasi, whose political talk show on ARY, "Off the Record," has been blacked out. The government has targeted several specific political shows, Abbasi said.

Musharraf was the first leader to allow a free media environment in Pakistan. "But what he took eight years to achieve has vanished in eight days," said Tariq Mahmood, a journalist with ARY. "Now Musharraf is going beyond the borders of Pakistan to crush resistance, and it feels medieval. If the U.S. really is a champion of human rights, they should tell Musharraf to stop this."

Shafqat Mahmood, a political analyst and a former minister and senator, said: "To me the issue is very clear. Musharraf is so damaged politically that he's outlived his utility, especially from a national security point of view. If the U.S. tries to foist him on us because he was useful after 9/11, then they are being shortsighted. It's not going to be taken nicely by the people of Pakistan."

Meanwhile, Pakistani army officials said they killed 100 fighters loyal to a pro-Taliban cleric in three days of fierce battles in northern Swat Valley in North-West Frontier Province.

Maj. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, director general of military operations for the Pakistan army, said that a fresh deployment of 1,500 troops had joined the 15,000 security forces already in Swat Valley.

Pasha also hinted that a major military offensive was imminent in the area.

Some critics said the crackdown was timed to coincide with Negroponte's visit. Elders influential in the area said they wanted negotiations, not a major military operation.

Sen. Maulan Rahat Hussain, from the troubled Shangla district, blamed the government for not trying to solve the militancy issue in Swat through dialogue.

"Obviously, when you send thousands of troops with gunship helicopters hovering daily in the sky, it clearly means that the government wants to plunge this area into another front in its so-called war on terror," he said.

AKI : Pakistan: Militants blame US official's visit for fierce battles

Pakistan: Militants blame US official's visit for fierce battles

by Syed Saleem Shahzad | November 16, 2007

Karachi -- Fighting in Pakistan's north-western Swat Valley between security forces and supporters of pro-Taliban cleric Mullah Fazlullah, has increased in recent days because of a visit by a senior US official, a Fazlullah spokesman has claimed.

Deputy secretary of state John Negroponte arrived in Pakistan on Friday for talks on the current state of emergency and the future of the country.

"The operation in the Swat Valley was expedited in the last few days because of US official John Negoponte’s visit,” Fazlullah's spokesman, Sirajuddin told Adnkronos International (AKI) on Friday in an exclusive phone interview.

Negroponte was due to hold talks with Musharraf and other officials over the weekend.

“This is the policy of our government that they want to appease foreigners and spill the blood of their people,” Sirajuddin said.

Pakistani security forces have used artillery and helicopter gunships to target the hideouts of pro-Taliban militants in the north-western Swat Valley over the past few days.

Reports on Friday quoting army officials said that at least 40 rebels have been killed, raising the death toll from the past three days of clashes to 100.

However Sirajuddin claimed that over the past 28 days of fighting only 12 fighters loyal to Mullah Fazlullah died while 300 troops from the military and paramilitary forces were killed.

Unrest erupted in Swat in July when fugitive rebel leader Maulana Fazlullah launched a campaign for the imposition of Islamic or Sharia law in the valley. He ran a pirate FM radio station that called for a 'holy war' on government forces and the imposition of tough Islamic laws.

The government moved 2,500 troops into Swat earlier this month and the clashes between security forces and the militants have intensified this week.

There have also been reports that many civilians have been killed in the fighting and that the rebels have captured a string of villages and towns in Swat.

Pakistan's president General Pervez Musharraf, a close US ally in the fight against terrorism, cited rising militant violence as one of the reasons for his decision to impose a nationwide state of emergency on 3 November.

“They [the government] want to extract maximum dollars [from the United States]," said Sirajuddin referring to US aid to Pakistan.

"Sometimes they do that under the pretext of [helping] Afghan refugees, sometimes they extract dollars in order to attack madrassas [Muslim schools] and other times they do it through military operations," he said.

"The government helicopter gunships come and they strike the civilian population," said Fazllulah's spokesman.

"The mujahadeen are in good health at their locations," he said, adding that the militants manage to take cover even when the helicopter gunships strike but "in this process the helicopter fire hits common people."

Sirajuddin said that the army had decided to attack this area because it believed it was controlled by pro-Taliban militants.

"A ceasefire is a possibility but it is up to the government to decide," he said.

"However our government is under intense American pressure and therefore it is compelled to carry out the operation. But if you ask our opinion, a compromise is very easy.

"Our people want the enforcement of Islamic laws. If the government would enforce those laws, a ceasefire will happen immediately," said Sirajuddin.

Sirajuddin maintained that the despite military operations, neither the militants nor civilians have problems getting daily food items in the areas which are under the militants' control.

“However, this is the situation on our side," said Mullah Fazlullah's spokesman. "In areas which are under the government's control, people are facing difficulties in accessing food and other necessities.

"The government has imposed a curfew and its forces harass the people when they try to leave their homes,” he said.

NYT : Musharraf Refuses to Say When Emergency Will End

Musharraf Refuses to Say When Emergency Will End

By DAVID ROHDE | November 18, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 17 — Continuing to defy the United States, Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, declined to tell a senior American envoy on Saturday when he would lift a two-week-old state of emergency, Pakistani and western officials said.

In a two-hour, face-to-face meeting with Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte — who had been expected to urge the president to end the emergency — General Musharraf said he would do so when security improves in the country. Mr. Negroponte is the United States’ second highest ranking diplomat.

“The president said, ‘I have noted your concerns and I think I will address all of these,’ ” a close aide to General Musharraf said.

A Western diplomat declined to comment on the meeting, but said it would take time to determine whether the American message had an impact on General Musharraf.

“In diplomacy, things don’t happen instantaneously,” said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “He came with a very strong message and he delivered a very strong message.”

General Musharraf’s defiance continues to be a major embarrassment for the Bush administration, which has provided more than $10 billion in aid to the military leader’s government since 2001 and declared him a valued ally. Ten days ago, President Bush personally telephoned General Musharraf and asked him to end the state of emergency, with no result.

On Nov. 3, the general declared de facto martial law in Pakistan, blacked out independent news stations and arrested an estimated 2,500 opposition politicians, lawyers and human rights activists. The move, which General Musharraf has said is an effort to curb terrorism, is widely seen by Pakistanis as an effort by the increasingly unpopular ruler to cling to power.

American officials had said that Mr. Negroponte would carry a blunt warning to the Pakistani leader to end the emergency, release all prisoners, resign from his post as army chief and hold free and fair elections in January. The first-ever director of national intelligence and a longtime diplomat, Mr. Negroponte is known as a tough negotiator.

In a sign of General Musharraf’s growing isolation, the secretary general of the main political party backing General Musharraf called for an end to the emergency on Saturday. The leader, Mushahid Hussain, said that ending the state of emergency would cause “less tension, less political conflict and less polarization.”

“The national interest would be better served,” Mr. Hussain said in an interview with Dawn News, a Pakistani television channel. “The emergency has been having a very negative impact, both at home and abroad.”

A second western diplomat said General Musharraf would not want to be seen as bowing to American pressure and was unlikely to lift the emergency in the next several days. But the diplomat, who like others would not speak for attribution because they did not want to complicate relations with Pakistani officials, said the president would eventually face criticism from fellow military officers.

“I think sooner or later his military colleagues are going to have to start whispering to him that concession and change is necessary,” the diplomat said.

Before meeting with General Musharraf, Mr. Negroponte met with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the deputy commander of Pakistan’s army. Mr. Kayani, a pro-western moderate, is General Musharraf’s designated successor to head the army and is widely believed to want to remove the military from politics and to focus on securing the country.

Western diplomats believe that Pakistan’s army still supports General Musharraf, but that there is unease with his leadership. With the army facing a growing insurgency from Islamic militants in the northwest, generals are eager to have an army chief who is focused solely on military matters and not distracted by politics, they said.

Twice in Pakistan’s history, senior generals have asked military rulers to resign when their conduct was deemed to be damaging to the army as an institution.

American and Pakistani officials declined to comment on the meeting between Mr. Negroponte and General Kayani. Pakistani officials said that General Kayani also attended a subsequent meeting between Mr. Negroponte and General Musharraf.

On Saturday, speculation also swirled about American intentions. After arriving in Islamabad on Friday, Mr. Negroponte telephoned the opposition leader Benazir Bhutto after she was released from three days of house arrest in the eastern city of Lahore.

Mr. Negroponte also met Tariq Aziz, secretary of the National Security Council and a close aide of General Musharraf.

Mr. Aziz served as a back-channel negotiator in an American effort to broker a deal between General Musharraf and Ms. Bhutto that would create an alliance of pro-western moderates that could counter rising militancy in the country. American officials hoped that Ms. Bhutto’s presumed popularity in Pakistan would bolster General Musharraf’s low standing. The president’s declaration of de facto martial law appears to have scuttled any deal, for now.

European diplomats and Pakistani analysts have long questioned the viability of an American-engineered Bhutto-Musharraf alliance. Any government they form would be viewed as a puppet of the United States, they said.

Carlotta Gall contributed reporting from Islamabad.

NYT : Envoy Elicits No New Promises From Musharraf

Envoy Elicits No New Promises From Musharraf

By DAVID ROHDE | November 17, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 17 — Continuing to defy the United States, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan declined to say when he would lift a two-week-old state of emergency during a meeting with a senior American envoy today, Pakistani and Western officials said.

In a two-hour, face-to-face meeting with Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte, the United States’ second highest ranking diplomat, General Musharraf said he would end the state of emergency when security improves in the country.

"He said that they were looking into the administration and there were quite a few factors," said a close aide to General Musharraf. "The president said ’I have noted your concerns and I think I will address all of these.’" A Western diplomat declined to comment on the meeting, but said it would take time to determine whether the American message had had an impact on General Musharraf.

"In diplomacy, things don’t happen instantaneously," said the diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "He came with a very strong message and he delivered a very strong message."

General Musharraf’s defiance continues to be a major embarrassment for the Bush administration, which has provided more than $10 billion in aid to the military leader’s government since 2001 and declared him a valued ally. Ten days ago, President Bush personally telephoned General Musharraf and asked him to end the state of emergency, with no result.

On Nov. 3, General Musharraf declared de facto martial law in Pakistan, blacked out independent news stations and arrested an estimated 2,500 opposition politicians, lawyers and human rights activists. The move — which General Musharraf has said is an effort to curb terrorism — is widely seen by Pakistanis as an effort by the increasingly unpopular ruler to cling to power.

American officials said that Mr. Negroponte would carry a stiff warning to the Pakistani leader to end the emergency, release all prisoners, resign from his post as army chief and hold free and fair elections in January. The first-ever director of national intelligence and a longtime diplomat, Mr. Negroponte is known as a blunt negotiator who played a role in the Iran-Contra scandal.

In a sign of General Musharraf’s growing isolation, the chairman of the Pakistani leader’s own political party called for an end to the emergency today. Mushahid Hussain, the chairman of the pro-Musharraf faction of the Pakistan Muslim League, said that ending the state of emergency would cause "less tension, less political conflict and less polarization."

"The national interest would be better served," Mr. Hussain said in an interview with Dawn News, a Pakistani television channel. "The emergency has been having a very negative impact, both at home and abroad."

A poll conducted in early September by the International Republican Institute, a Washington-based non-profit group, before the emergency declaration found that 79 percent of Pakistanis disapproved of General Musharraf’s job performance and that 70 percent supported his immediate resignation. His popularity is believed to have decreased further since the Nov. 3 declaration.

A second western diplomat said General Musharraf would not want to be seen as bowing to American pressure and is unlikely to lift the emergency in the next several days. But they said he will eventually face criticism from fellow military officers.

"Nothing he’s doing is relieving the pressure on him," said the diplomat. "I think sooner or later his military colleagues are going to have to start whispering to him that concession and change is necessary."

Before meeting with General Musharraf, Mr. Negroponte met with General Ashfaq Kayani, the deputy commander of Pakistan’s army. Mr. Kayani, a pro-Western moderate, is General Musharraf’s designated successor and widely believed to want to remove the army from politics and focus on securing the country.

Western diplomats believe that Pakistan’s army still supports General Musharraf, but there is unease with his leadership. With the army facing a growing insurgency from Islamic militants in the northwest, generals are eager to have an army chief who is focused solely on military matters and not distracted by politics, they said.

Twice in Pakistan’s history, senior generals have asked military rulers to resign when their conduct was deemed to be damaging to the army as an institution.

"The consensus is the generals are very uneasy," said the second Western diplomat. "The longer it goes on the more damage is done and that is something that will be uppermost in the minds of the generals."

American and Pakistani officials declined to comment on the meeting between Mr. Negroponte and General Kayani. Pakistani officials said that General Kayani also attended a subsequent meeting between Mr. Negroponte and General Musharraf.

General Musharraf’s crackdown on the Pakistani media continues, according to local journalists. On Friday night, pressure from General Musharraf caused officials in Dubai to block all broadcasts from two independent television networks, ARY and Geo. While blocked from Pakistan’s cable TV system, the two stations’ broadcasts from their studios in Dubai could be seen online and via satellite.

Government officials have ordered stations to cancel talk shows they dislike, according to local journalists. They said owners, who have lost millions of dollars in ad revenues since being shut down, are acquiescing.

"The news coverage that we’re doing is evoking a really harsh reaction from the government," said Talat Hussain, an anchor with Aaj television who resigned today after management canceled his talk show. "And the owners are not really standing up to government pressure."

In the days before Mr. Negroponte’s arrival, the government allowed several independent news stations to resume broadcasting on cable television. But the stations operate under a strict new press law that carries a sentence of up to three years in jail for journalists who "ridicule" the president.

Today, speculation also swirled about which local politicians the United States was backing. After arriving in Islamabad on Friday, Mr. Negroponte telephoned opposition leader Benazir Bhutto after she was released from three days of house arrest in the eastern city of Lahore. The police had blocked Mrs. Bhutto and her supporters from carrying out a protest march from Lahore to Islamabad.

Mr. Negroponte also met Tariq Aziz, secretary of the National Security Council and a close aide of General Musharraf. Mr. Aziz served as a back-channel negotiator in an American effort to broker a deal between General Musharraf and Mrs. Bhutto that would create an alliance of pro-Western moderates that could counter rising militancy the country. American officials hoped that Mrs. Bhutto’s presumed popularity in Pakistan would bolster General Musharraf’s low standing.

European diplomats and Pakistani analysts have long questioned the viability of an American-engineered Bhutto-Musharraf alliance. Any government they form would be viewed as a puppet of the United States, they said, and both leaders appear to be unpopular.

In the September opinion survey, only 28 percent of Pakistanis polled named Mrs. Bhutto as the best person to handle the problems facing Pakistan. Seventeen percent named General Musharraf. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is in exile in Saudi Arabia and refuses to negotiate with General Musharraf, received the highest marks, with 36 percent support.

Carlotta Gall contributed reporting from Islamabad.

IHT : Negroponte: Pakistan's political process is "derailed"

Negroponte: Pakistan's political process is "derailed"

The Associated Press | November 15, 2007

BAMAKO, Mali: On the eve of his departure to Pakistan, the U.S. deputy secretary of state on Thursday called the political process there "derailed."

John Negroponte, who was in Mali finishing a diplomatic tour of Africa before heading to Pakistan, said he planned to meet with Pakistan's political leadership in order to bring "the political process back on track."

He is expected to leave Mali Thursday night for Pakistan, where the political situation is worsening following President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule. Negroponte is expected to demand Musharraf end emergency rule and free thousands of his political opponents.

"The political process in Pakistan has been derailed. Our message is that we want to work with the government and people of Pakistan and the political actors in Pakistan to put the political process back on track as soon as possible," Negroponte said.

At a meeting with local Malian journalists, Negroponte also assured Mali that the United States had no plans to establish a permanent military base in the landlocked, West African nation.

In September, rebels armed with machine opened fire on a U.S. plane in the country's troubled north. The plane was ferrying food supplies to a Malian military outpost, and the incident sparked debate about the U.S. presence in Mali.

That presence consists of training and joint exercises intended to fight terrorism in the vast, unoccupied spaces of the Sahara Desert, said Negroponte.

"But we are certainly not seeking any kind of military bases or military presence by the United States in the area," he said.

Though Mali is often called one of the most stable countries in West Africa, its northeastern desert region was the launching point for a 1990s Tuareg rebellion, and a resurgence of clashes has once again made the region volatile with numerous kidnappings and attacks on military and government targets.

LAT : Musharraf reassures U.S. on militants

Musharraf reassures U.S. on militants

An attack kills 15 soldiers even as the Pakistani president tells Negroponte that he is doing all he can.

By Laura King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer | September 17, 2007

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN -- Amid a surge of fighting in Pakistan's borderlands and a suicide attack on a military installation, President Pervez Musharraf assured a senior U.S. envoy Thursday that his government has been doing all it can to fight Islamic militancy.

At least 15 soldiers were killed in the attack on the mess hall of an army installation about 60 miles south of Islamabad, the capital, military officials said.

Separately, Pakistani military officials said government troops had killed dozens of insurgents in two days of fierce fighting in North and South Waziristan, the most restive of the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. Local militant sources said dozens of soldiers also were killed, which was flatly denied by the chief military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad.

Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte's visit had been scheduled months earlier, but comes as Musharraf is struggling to cope with a domestic political crisis challenging his rule as well as an increase in militant attacks against the military.

In his previous position as national intelligence director, Negroponte warned this year that senior Al Qaeda figures had found sanctuary in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas.

During this visit, however, Negroponte has not made public mention of that assessment, instead taking pains to praise Pakistan's role in combating Islamic insurgents.

"There is no doubt whatsoever of Pakistan's commitment to restoring and establishing security in that part of the country and doing more than its share in the war against terror," Negroponte told reporters Wednesday.

After the meeting, Musharraf's office issued a statement saying that "the president reaffirmed Pakistan's firm resolve to fight extremism and terrorism."

It also said the United States had committed $750 million over five years for development in the tribal areas, among the country's poorest regions.

Pakistan has deployed more than 90,000 troops in the borderlands, where U.S. intelligence says Al Qaeda and Taliban elements have been regrouping and rearming. Thousands more troops were sent into the tribal areas after militants began a campaign of suicide bombings in revenge for a July showdown in Islamabad in which government forces stormed a radical mosque.

However, the military campaign has produced no notable successes, and some embarrassing failures. Militants last month captured at least 200 troops -- they apparently surrendered without firing a shot -- and the government has been trying to broker their release.

Given the precariousness of Musharraf's political situation, Negroponte has been careful to avoid any criticism of the president's recent actions, including the summary deportation of a top opposition leader this week. He reiterated U.S. hope that the political process, including parliamentary elections to be held by early next year, will be peaceful.

In Pakistan, high-profile action against militant groups has sometimes coincided with the visits of high-ranking U.S. officials. A senior Taliban leader was captured on the day Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in March.

Thursday's vehicle-borne suicide bomb at Ghazi Tarbela, a base used by elite troops, was the second attack this month on a military installation near the capital. On Sept. 4, a pair of suicide bombings in the garrison town of Rawalpindi killed 25 people.

In the most recent clashes in North and South Waziristan, Pakistani military officials said as many as 50 militants were killed Thursday and about 30 the day before. Troops used helicopter gunships and heavy artillery after insurgents attacked a military base, they said.

Militant sources and local tribal leaders said nearly 100 troops had been killed in the fighting.

The clashes have been taking place in remote areas that are closed to outsiders, and it was not possible to verify the casualty claims by either side.

laura.king@latimes.com

Special correspondent Zulfiqar Ali in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

NYT : U.S. Official in Pakistan for Talks

U.S. Official in Pakistan for Talks

By CARLOTTA GALL | September 13, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Sept.12 — Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, arriving in Pakistan for two days of talks during a political crackdown and increased violence in the border areas, called for a peaceful democratic transition from military rule but pointedly did not criticize Monday’s deportation of an opposition leader.

Mr. Negroponte was attending discussions with the Foreign Ministry on strategic relations between Pakistan and the United States, covering terrorism issues and general assistance, but his trip comes at a tense political moment in Pakistan. Hundreds of opposition political leaders and workers have been detained in the last few days as the president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, prepares to register as a candidate for another term at the end of this week.

The deportation was of one of his strongest political opponents, Nawaz Sharif, who was sent back into exile in Saudi Arabia, a move that other opposition leaders have denounced as illegal and contrary to a recent Supreme Court ruling allowing his return. Many of the leaders of the Mr. Sharif’s party and allied opposition leaders have been placed in detention or under house arrest for 30 days under a public maintenance order.

The opposition politician and former cricketer, Imran Khan — who has become one of the most vocal critics of General Musharraf, and his coalition supporters, the Muttahida Quami Movement — was prevented from holding a rally in the southern port city of Karachi, and was turned back when he arrived at the airport. Government officials said he was stopped from going into the city to avoid traffic problems and preserve public order.

Mr. Negroponte avoided comment on the political crackdown and said Mr. Sharif’s deportation was an internal issue for Pakistan. “This is a legal matter for the government and the people of Pakistan to decide and our only wish is that whatever is done, be done in a peaceful manner, and that it lead to a peaceful and democratic political evolution in this country,” he said at a joint news conference with Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammed Khan, the senior official under the foreign minister.

Mr. Negroponte gave a clear indication that the Bush administration continued to support a plan for a powersharing agreement between another opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, and General Musharraf that would allow him to continue as president for another term. “We are supportive of a political process that is peaceful,” he said. “We look forward to democratic elections being held in Pakistan quite shortly and we think it is quite important that there be a smooth and democratic political transition.” Ms. Bhutto has stressed that she is looking to work out with General Musharraf a smooth transition to democracy, whereas Mr. Sharif is seeking the general’s removal from power.

Foremost in the discussions at the Foreign Ministry were security and cooperation in the campaign against terrorism, and Mr. Negroponte’s visit comes in the middle of an unusually embarrassing situation for Pakistan’s military. Some 270 soldiers and members of the tribal paramilitary forces captured 10 days ago remain in the hands of Taliban militants in the tribal region of South Waziristan. The military has had to enlist the help of tribal elders to try to negotiate their freedom, without success so far.

Violence has worsened in the region as militants have sought to spread their influence and ward off military operations, but there is also a growing opposition to military actions in the border areas, and analysts are describing the capture of the military in South Waziristan as a sign of the low morale in the military and their reluctance to fight militants who they are their own people.

Today, 12 members of the Frontier Constabulary, a border security force, were captured by militants from a checkpoint in Bannu just outside the North Waziristan region. The men have been placed to prevent infiltration from the tribal areas into the lower lying areas of the frontier province but were overwhelmed by militants coming from the tribal area.

Also, a military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said 30 to 40 militants had been killed today in helicopter strikes in the Shawal area of South Waziristan, but the report could not be independently confirmed. A teenage suicide bomber killed himself and 17 people as police tried to apprehend him Tuesday in the town of Dera Ismail Khan on the edge of the tribal areas.

Foreign Secretary Khan acknowledged that of Al Qaeda members were in the tribal areas, but insisted that Pakistan was pursuing operations against them. “There is presence of Al Qaeda there is no doubt about it, but there are no safe havens,” he said. “We are determined not to allow any such elements to use our territory.”

He said 1,000 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in operations in the tribal areas in recent years, and said it was a sign of Pakistan’s commitment to fighting militancy.

The News : Negroponte due next month

Negroponte due next month

August 19, 2007

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Mahmud Ali Durrani has stated both Pakistan and the US are committed to long-term relations and disclosed that US deputy secretary of state would visit Pakistan next month to further expand the strategic partnership.

“Both governments want to have a long-term and broad-based relationship,” he stated in an interview with Voice of America.

The ambassador expressed the confidence in response to a question that the two countries would be able to overcome any differences on way to their sustained relationship.

Citing the coming round of strategic dialogue between the two allies, the envoy said US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was due in Islamabad next month to advance bilateral strategic cooperation in various fields.

The two countries affirmed strategic partnership in March 2006 during President Bush’s visit when the US leader and President Pervez Musharraf resolved to consolidate their cooperation in wide-ranging areas, including education, economy, security, energy and science and technology.

“Pakistan is a key partner in the regional fight against terrorism and has deployed about 100,000 forces along its border with Afghanistan to combat terrorist threat,” said Durrani.

Meanwhile, the State Department has said in case of actionable intelligence about high value targets, Washington will do everything it can to act on that information but that it would act in a way that does not harm its relations with its allies.

“We are confident that we will be able to do that in such a way that we don’t harm our relations with any states that may be in question,” spokesman Sean McCormack said at a regular briefing. He was asked to comment on recent statements by American presidential contenders that the US would be prepared to take unilateral action against terrorists who may be hiding on Pakistani side of the Afghan border.

Pakistan has rejected such statements and termed them as counterproductive to efforts in the fight against terrorism. Asked if those kinds of comments are dangerous, McCormack said, “You know, that’s presidential politics” and pointed out that free speech in campaigns should not be mixed with the administration’s foreign policy.

“There’s a thing called free speech in presidential campaigns in the United States. There’s also a thing called the Executive Branch and we have responsibility for the foreign policy of the United States, and I don’t think anybody’s going to confuse those two things,” he said, explaining the difference between the US foreign policy and statements in political campaigns.

Daily Times : Negroponte to fly to Pakistan

Negroponte to fly to Pakistan

August 16, 2007

WASHINGTON: John Negroponte, deputy secretary of state, is flying to Islamabad for a three-day visit from September 10 to 12, in a sign of the anxiety felt here over the uncertain political situation in Pakistan. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher is already in Islamabad, his fourth visit there this year. The Bush administration is no longer sure how long the current power-holders in Islamabad will remain in a position to call the shots. The Benazir-Musharraf “living arrangement” that the US favours is looking less likely after the chief justice’s reinstatement. Further muddying the waters is the Sharifs’ petition to the SC for their return to Pakistan, which would all but sabotage the Musharraf-Benazir power-sharing arrangement. Benazir has been in New York for over a week and has summoned some of her close aides for “consultations”. There are reports that Benazir looks “worried and uncertain about the future”, her recent upbeat mood no longer in evidence. khalid hasan

New Kerala : Negroponte to visit Pakistan in September

Negroponte to visit Pakistan in September

Washington | Aug.16, 2007

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte will visit Islamabad for three days from September 10 to 12.

Negroponte's visit is being seen as a sign of Washington's anxiety over the uncertain political situation in Pakistan, reports the Daily Times.

Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher is in Islamabad, his fourth visit this year.

The Bush Administration is said to be unsure about the longevity of the Musharraf regime in the wake of recent developments such as the Lal Masjid operation, the reinstatement of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the collapse of the peace deal in tribal dominated Waziristan, and moves to impose an emergency.

Further muddying the political waters in Pakistan is the Supreme Court's decision to hear the Sharifs' petition for their return to Pakistan on August 23, which could sabotage the Musharraf-Benazir power-sharing arrangement, claims the paper.

--- ANI