Posted on 12/02/2007 6:50:48 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Musharraf: U.S. Shares Blame for Pakistan and Afghanistan
Pervez Musharraf's Exclusive Interview With ABC News' Chris Cuomo
In an exclusive interview with "Good Morning America," Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said the West must share blame for his country's current political crisis.
If there's a failure, it's not Pakistan's failure," Musharraf responded when asked by GMA's Chris Cuomo about the political turmoil and beleaguered anti-terrorism campaigns under way in Pakistan, particularly in the country's remote tribal regions.
On his country's search for Osama bin Laden, Musharraf refused to say what he would do if he was captured, including whether he would turn Bin Laden over to the U.S. "I think the people who need to know, know it," he said. "And I don't think the media is the one who needs to know."
Musharraf faulted the United States for its inconsistent support over the past 30 years, saying that the U.S. turned a blind eye to terrorism until Sept. 11. "We handled the situation alone for 12 years," he said.
Musharraf insists that Pakistan has been a staunch ally for the United States. He described the United States and Pakistan's support for the mujahedeen in Afghanistan to fight the Soviets by saying, "We launched a jihad together."
Stepping Down as General Tuesday Musharraf stepped down as head of the army, a position he had held, in addition to the office of the presidency, since seizing power in a 1999 coup.
Musharraf said that giving up his post in the army, where he had served for 46 years, was very emotional for him, but he did it because he felt it was in Pakistan's best domestic interests.
"It hit me at the ceremony, I think, when I handed over the baton to the new army chief of staff. That ceremony that was very nostalgic, very emotional, because I thought this is the day when I am leaving. I am no more the chief.
The move represents a dramatic turnabout for Musharraf since declaring a state of emergency and suspending the constitution earlier this month. Just yesterday he set a date to lift emergency rule by Dec. 16 and promised that "come hell or high water, elections will be held Jan. 8."
Cracking Down on the Media Musharraf has been broadly criticized for his crackdown on the media since the state of emergency.
He said he understood the West's concerns but insisted the move was necessary: "We had to crack down on the media because the media was creating despondency and despair in the public of Pakistan through distorting facts."
"I tolerate everything. I have no problem with criticism on me. Or even the government. But if that criticism is biased and distorted, distorted by design, distorted by political design, now that is where I … get agitated."
Musharraf sat down with Chris Cuomo for a 45-minute interview in Rawalpindi earlier today, his first interview since being sworn in again as president.
And what blame would that be?......Ridding the area in Afghanistan of the Taliban? This guy’s a bag.
The Pakis had a ball in Afghanistan when the Taliban were in power.
The Taliban wouldn’t have existed if it weren’t for the Pakistani army-
& it still continues to exist because of the same force.
He’s blaming CLINTON and Elder BUSH!!
We can fix this easy, get rid of him.
Pakistan has not really ever had sovereignty over the Waziristans and should explicitly acknowledge same.
This must be a first, Musharraf is right but even though he’s right he could be doing a lot more.
You have to give him credit for knowing how to deal with the media. :)
So does Robert Mugabe & Vladmir Putin.
Yep,the US should have looked more closely at Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorists against India & support of the Taliban in Afghanistan- & Clinton should have declared Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism when he had the evidence-which happened more than a few times.
LOL!
I just knew somebody was going to take my comment seriously.
I was just being a little flippant. That was the reason for the :) smiley face.
“On his country’s search for Osama bin Laden, Musharraf refused to say what he would do if he was captured, including whether he would turn Bin Laden over to the U.S. “I think the people who need to know, know it,” he said. “And I don’t think the media is the one who needs to know.””
Very refreshing comment, no matter the various possible interpretations.
I think one thing that gets lost in the pakistan threads is that the US doesn’t have a wide range of options on who runs pakistan, AND the US is more concerned about stable secular control of the country, the army, AND THE NUKES than any platitudes about democracy, no matter what sandbagging the State Department does to the contrary.
People say Mussharaff could have done more on various topics - but what if ordering more done (or maybe he did order more done and it was ignored and we don’t know it) makes entire parts of his government just simply ignore him and/or do what they want? As far as I can tell he has been and is in a very precarious position with active forces working against him, if the multiple near-success assassination attempts are not clue enough.
I guess what I am saying is that the US isn’t going to get anyone who can replace this guy who is in overall more useful to US interests, and for the US and the West in general to be giving this guy grief about democracy is just plain stupid.
I can only hope that private contact between the US and his government is on a more realpolitikal level.
I think most FReepers can relate to that.
Who writes Musharraf's stuff? Ray Nagin?
He’s right, but the USA shouldn’t bear the entire burden. What is Iran doing to eliminate terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan? What about China and Russia, it’s their turf.
As I have said many times over,replacing Musharraf won’t change a thing.The vast majority of the Army’s senior officers have the same viewpoints-he has survived solely because of them.The Pakistani army is a very professional force-not a oneman street show.
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