Musharraf fakes an attack on himself once in a while when the U.S. starts pressuring him to crack down on Jihadis.
Musharraf is an Islamist in Secularist's clothing.
The guy in a turban whose foaming at the mouth and swinging a sword over his head while shouting "Allahu Akbar, Die Infidel" is less dangerous, because you know he's a nut, and you kill him right then and there.
But Musharraf is duplicitous. He throws America a bone once in a while, but fully supports the terrorist apparatus that's breeding in his country. He's a lot more dangerous than the Bush administration realizes.
Welcome to FR newbie...
We are winning in Pakistan now because we have finally got the intelligence goods and ISI cant cover for their former clients. Our FBI and CIA are on the ground Pakistan eavesdropping on all electronic communication, and that is bmaking the difference.
Musharraf is our friend. Read Tommy Franks and others' books, and they make clear Musharraf is trying to defeat the Islamicists, even though they have supporters in some communities and within the ISI.
Welcome to FR newbie...
We are winning in Pakistan now because we have finally got the intelligence goods and ISI cant cover for their former clients. Our FBI and CIA are on the ground Pakistan eavesdropping on all electronic communication, and that is bmaking the difference.
Musharraf is our friend. Read Tommy Franks and others' books, and they make clear Musharraf is trying to defeat the Islamicists, even though they have supporters in some communities and within the ISI.
For now, what's best for Musharraf is keeping his administration in the good graces of the Bush administration.
The situation is fluid, but at this moment, our interests compliment each other. We have the carrots and the sticks to keep it that way for quite a while.
He's an ally in that limited way, and its a workable situation for the time being. I don't particularly care what his personal motivations are as long as he delivers.