[OldFriend]

The fact is that Pakistan could have gone either way.

Side with the Taliban or help America.

IMHO, they did the best they could within the context of their own political situation.

[junaid]

I agree.

Musharraf is probably the only leader in Pakistan that could have made this decision. Pakistan's elected leadership was always fraught with corruption. He seems to be the "benevolent dictator" that my father used to tell me was the best kind of leader. It is ironic, though, that Musharraf came to the presidency through a bloodless military coup over Nawas Sharif's insistence that the military back out of Kashmir.

Pakistanis at the time were happy that the leadership was no longer corrupt, but were afraid of another military dictator (e.g. Pres. Zia). But what they got was someone who has tried to root out the ISI and military of Taliban-friendly management, face-to-face talks with India, and, now, a speech to the AJC.

All this for some sweetheart deals with the World Bank and IMF.