News
Sunday, March 16, 2008
US tones down praise for Musharraf
* Analysts see ‘dramatic’ change in policy after opposition’s election victory
WASHINGTON: Just months ago, the United States publicly championed President Musharraf as an “indispensable” ally. Now, officials barely mention the man the Bush administration once promoted as key to holding together a nuclear-armed country deemed crucial to the US-led fight against extremists. The new tone comes as the US works to gain the favour of Pakistani opposition forces that won big in last month’s elections and as Musharraf’s grip on power weakens. ‘Dramatic’ change: Robert Hathaway, director of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Asia programme, said Bush officials will not abandon Musharraf; “but clearly they have to, in rather dramatic fashion, alter what had been their previous practice of putting all of the American eggs in a Musharraf basket.” Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte told lawmakers late last month that “Pakistan has been indispensable” to the fight against extremists, a marked change from his comments in November that Musharraf was the indispensable key to the effort. This week, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack avoided taking a position on the possible restoration of judges. Asked if the US was reaching out to politicians to express opposition to bringing back the judges, McCormack said, “No.” Farhana Ali, an analyst at the Rand Corp, said there is a “hesitancy within the administration to completely let go of Musharraf.” She added that the Bush administration acknowledges “that we need Pakistan’s support. Therefore, it’s wise for us to accept whoever is going to take the throne.” ap
Courtesy Daily Times