Posted on 11/15/2007 6:06:45 PM PST by Gengis Khan
WASHINGTON: The bell tolls for Gen. Pervez Musharraf.
The Bush administration, his long-time patron-in-chief, appears ready to dump him, fearful that the situation in Pakistan is getting out of control and that the US is covering itself with infamy with its dodgy policy of backing an increasingly repressive dictator.
The sight of American lawyers from Seattle to Washington DC taking to the streets in support of their black-coated colleagues in Pakistan seems to have galvanized the administration into a rethink of their backing for Musharraf. Then there is the very public and bitter rupture in the covert deal Washington had worked out between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto amid a precipitous deterioration in the security situation in Pakistan.
On Wednesday, US officials rejected Musharraf's latest argument that the emergency he has declared would ensure a peaceful election and transition, a claim he made in back-to-back interviews with several western media earlier in the day.
''We don't see how it is possible to have free and fair elections under emergency rule. You want to have emergency rule lifted so that people could protest peacefully, or that they could campaign, and so that a free media can cover the election as we do here,'' a White House official said, in a rare public rebuttal of the General, who has generally had his way with Washington.
Senior administration officials then put out the word in select background briefings that Washington is looking at a post-Musharraf scenario and that the General could no longer count on unqualified US support. In various inter-department and inter-agency meetings, officials brainstormed about what message US envoy John Negroponte would deliver to Musharraf this weekend and how Washington can ensure a smooth transition.
On Wednesday, the administration was embarrassed by the sight of more than 250 American lawyers marching to the US Supreme Court in support of their colleagues in Pakistan and demanding restoration of democracy. Similar demonstrations are scheduled in other US cities.
Mohammed Akram, a prominent Pakistani attorney and former head of the Pakistan Bar Association, made quite an impact by pleading with the Bush administration to stop supporting the Musharraf dictatorship. Accusing Washington of colluding with Musharraf "to ruin Pakistan," Akram beseeched the administration to change course in his country.
Negroponte meantime is travelling in Africa and is expected to reach Islamabad on Saturday morning. He is expected to meet both Musharraf and Bhutto separately, but officials here seem to believe it might be too late to salvage the fractured marriage. Officials from the US Embassy in Islamabad have already been reaching out to an alternate line of Pakistani leaders and generals.
Musharraf too indicated that he knows his game is up. In several interviews he gave on Wednesday, he whined about being betrayed and let down up the western media and governments, pleaded for understanding, and at one point, even spoke of bowing out if he could ensure a smooth transition.
But no one expects him to leave gracefully, and the debate in Washington now centers on how to ease him out if he declines to lift the Emergency, remove his uniform, and manage an election that can somehow be certified ''free and fair'' - the three benchmarks set by the United States.
The Bush administration has long flagged Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani, Musharraf's designated successor as army chief, as the next power center. There is expectation that with a little nudge from Washington, Kiyani and the clique of corps commanders will ask Musharraf to quit. An informal power-sharing arrangement between Kiyani and Benazir, instead of Musharraf and Bhutto, with the Pakistani military still calling the shots behind a civilian facade, is in the works.
However, the administration here also recognizes that Musharraf remains in control of the military, if not the situation on the ground. The Corps Commanders of the army, the country's ultimate power center, are at least a decade junior to him and hand-picked by him to ensure loyalty. He has also allowed them, and the military in general, to feast on the country's coffers, engendering the term ''crore commanders.''
But the Bush administration appears to believe that Kiyani is of a different mettle -- honest, straightforward and apolitical, and someone Washington could work with, although he has not been heard of much ever since officials here began to praise him.
The weekend Negroponte mission is expected to sort out the situation in what many world capitals believe is the "most dangerous country on earth."
Pulling the plug on this guy will result in greater world-wide grief than pulling the rug from under the Shah of Iran.
I trust our president’s judgement. He’s dealt with far large problems very successfully.
” On Wednesday, the administration was embarrassed by the sight of more than 250 American lawyers marching to the US Supreme Court in support of their colleagues in Pakistan and demanding restoration of democracy. Similar demonstrations are scheduled in other US cities. “
wow, I missed that
Musharraf’s case is very different from the Shah. The analogy of the Shah is only rhetorical and actually does not apply to Musharraf’s case.
I think Musharraf (like the Saudis) has played a double game for a long time. I am ambivalent about his fate, but heaven help us if the Taliban seize control of Pakistan.
OMG, MILLIONS OF SCUM BAGS TOOK TO THE STREETS!!!!
On Wednesday, the administration was embarrassed by the sight of more than 250 American lawyers marching to the US Supreme Court
I sorta expected Holmes and all I got was Herman(Pee Wee). The journalist is a sensationalist dolt.
I guess Jimmy Carter is back in power. History does repeat itself.
LOLOL!!! Oh wait you were serious...
The Bush administration, his long-time patron-in-chief, appears ready to dump him, fearful that the situation in Pakistan is getting out of control and that the US is covering itself with infamy with its dodgy policy of backing an increasingly repressive dictator.
Now will the citizens of these respective states see a decrease of $10 billion in the budget? Or will this $10 billion go to the next 'well deserving' leader who isn't a tyrant until we quit paying him?
Better yet, maybe it will be just a downpayment to on the 'rid Pakistan of WMDs' upcoming police action. Of course we actually know they do have them so most likely they'll stay on our government's payroll under the misnomer of 'food aid' or 'human rights aid' as North Korea does.
Do whatever you have to do to get Taliban and Osama. If it means supporting Musharaff, do it. If it means dumping Musharaff, do it.
I won’t be surprised to learn that President Bush is engineering much of what we’re seeing to achieve goals that ordinary people cannot adequately comprehend or appreciate yet. Obviously, he can’t share all that he sees, all that he knows or all that he does with us now, but historians will someday recognize that he is the master of our time.
Bush is only the Prseident of US not God. He has no control over every single event that happens around the world.
In time you will see.
LOL. Are you serious or was that sarcasm. If it was the latter, that was quite funny. If the former ....well, I sure do hope the President is an omniscient/present/potent as you make him out to be, because from where I am standing the Pakistan situation (let alone the omni-dimensional 'engineering' that you are talking about) is the equivalent of an open powder keg at a welding shop. I hope you are right though ....although you know what they say about the best laid plans ...
Master of our time?!? Whew, put the pipe down.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926506/posts
Did you read this earlier article?
Like 911, Pakistan was a problem way before G.W. Bush became president. You are right, he isn’t God. I do pray God will lead him to the right decision.
He has done many good things as President with little help from congress. I stand firmly behind this good man.
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I won’t be surprised to learn that President Bush is engineering much of what we’re seeing to achieve goals that ordinary people cannot adequately comprehend or appreciate yet. Obviously, he can’t share all that he sees, all that he knows or all that he does with us now, but historians will someday recognize that he is the master of our time..."
Musharraf is still our friend and Bhutto is still a thief. It is not a coincidence that trouble is flaring-up in Pakistan just now.
The war for Iraq is lost to the islamaniacs, and the money that trained and sent all those fighters to Iraq is going to Pakistan, to buy a new base of operations. It's most probably Saudi money, and they're gonna fail, again.
It's telling that Syria, Iran, and Hizbollah are sorta being ignored right now, with the Syrians and Iranians convinced that it's only a short time before the USA and/or Israel drops-the-hammer on them.
"...On Wednesday, the administration was embarrassed by the sight of more than 250 American lawyers marching to the US Supreme Court in support of their colleagues in Pakistan and demanding restoration of democracy. Similar demonstrations are scheduled in other US cities..."
I don't know who this 'CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA' is, but I know who's got a gun to his head.
"Wishin' Won't Make It So ... I Learned That Long Ago" .............................. FRegards
Whew, did you take a nationwide poll, or something? Yeah, I still think President Bush is doing a good job! And I don’t believe I’m in, what did you call it?, a small minority. How arrogant of you!
I guess there are a number of people who don’t approve of him anymore, or ever did. But it is the height of arrogance to insinuate that he is disliked by a vast majority of people, and supported only by a small minority! I think you are full of it!
Yeah, he’s no George Soros.
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