Gold9472
11-12-2007, 01:48 PM
Bush, Rice criticize Musharraf but call him vital ally in war on terror
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/11/11/MNA4TAB4S.DTL&type=politics
Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post
Sunday, November 11, 2007
(11-11) 04:00 PST Crawford, Texas -- President Bush and his senior advisers offered perhaps their most extensive defense Saturday of Pervez Musharraf as an ally in the battle against Islamic extremists a week after the Pakistani president declared emergency powers and began a crackdown on human rights activists, lawyers and journalists.
Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made clear their continuing desire for Musharraf to hold elections and resign from the Pakistani army, with Rice bluntly calling his seizure of emergency powers a "bad decision." But they mixed criticism with sympathy for what they termed his past efforts to cultivate democracy and help the United States go after al Qaeda leaders in the border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"President Musharraf, right after the attacks on September the 11th, made a decision, and the decision was to stand with the United States against the extremists inside Pakistan," Bush told reporters. "In other words, he was given an option: Are you with us, or are you not with us? And he made a clear decision to be with us, and he's acted on that advice."
Bush noted that several senior al Qaeda leaders "have been brought to justice" and "that would not have happened without President Musharraf honoring his word."
The comments on Pakistan Saturday from Bush, Rice and national security adviser Stephen Hadley underscored that the administration does not appear willing to risk a break with Musharraf over his actions thus far, as troubling as they may be.
Briefing reporters after Saturday's meeting, Hadley seized on Musharraf's comments on elections and his plans to remove his uniform as an indication that the Pakistani president has followed through on U.S. pleas that he disclose his intentions about putting Pakistan on a path to full democracy. "President Musharraf has been responsive to calls from his own people for clarity on these subjects," Hadley said.
Rice, meanwhile, in an interview released Saturday with the Dallas Morning News editorial board, described Musharraf as "someone with whom you can talk and reason. He is someone who has tried to fight terrorism and has tried to unravel some of the extremist elements." She said the United States must "remain engaged" with Pakistan or risk the possibility of greater extremism, as happened in the 1990s.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/11/11/MNA4TAB4S.DTL&type=politics
Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post
Sunday, November 11, 2007
(11-11) 04:00 PST Crawford, Texas -- President Bush and his senior advisers offered perhaps their most extensive defense Saturday of Pervez Musharraf as an ally in the battle against Islamic extremists a week after the Pakistani president declared emergency powers and began a crackdown on human rights activists, lawyers and journalists.
Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made clear their continuing desire for Musharraf to hold elections and resign from the Pakistani army, with Rice bluntly calling his seizure of emergency powers a "bad decision." But they mixed criticism with sympathy for what they termed his past efforts to cultivate democracy and help the United States go after al Qaeda leaders in the border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"President Musharraf, right after the attacks on September the 11th, made a decision, and the decision was to stand with the United States against the extremists inside Pakistan," Bush told reporters. "In other words, he was given an option: Are you with us, or are you not with us? And he made a clear decision to be with us, and he's acted on that advice."
Bush noted that several senior al Qaeda leaders "have been brought to justice" and "that would not have happened without President Musharraf honoring his word."
The comments on Pakistan Saturday from Bush, Rice and national security adviser Stephen Hadley underscored that the administration does not appear willing to risk a break with Musharraf over his actions thus far, as troubling as they may be.
Briefing reporters after Saturday's meeting, Hadley seized on Musharraf's comments on elections and his plans to remove his uniform as an indication that the Pakistani president has followed through on U.S. pleas that he disclose his intentions about putting Pakistan on a path to full democracy. "President Musharraf has been responsive to calls from his own people for clarity on these subjects," Hadley said.
Rice, meanwhile, in an interview released Saturday with the Dallas Morning News editorial board, described Musharraf as "someone with whom you can talk and reason. He is someone who has tried to fight terrorism and has tried to unravel some of the extremist elements." She said the United States must "remain engaged" with Pakistan or risk the possibility of greater extremism, as happened in the 1990s.