U.S. backs, praises Pakistan's Musharraf
By STEPHEN GRAHAM, Associated Press Writer Sat Jun 16, 3:17 PM ET
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A senior U.S. envoy gave strong backing to the government of Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Saturday, but balanced it with a call for more democracy amid growing opposition to his eight-year rule.
Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was visiting as Musharraf faces street protests for suspending the country's chief justice and as U.S. lawmakers question American backing for a military leader reluctant to yield power to civilians.
After talks with Musharraf and other senior officials, Negroponte praised Pakistan's front-line role in fighting terrorism, in which it has captured scores of al-Qaida suspects and lost hundreds of soldiers battling militants.
The message he delivered "is one of strong friendship and trust for and with the government and the people of Pakistan. We believe we have an excellent partnership," Negroponte told reporters.
Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup, has said he will ask lawmakers in the fall to award him a new five-year presidential term, and has yet to say whether he will keep his uniform.
Opposition leaders say his plans will breach the constitution and accuse him of trying to remove Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry in order to ensure that the Supreme Court rejects legal challenges to his continued rule.
More than 20,000 protesters were out Saturday cheering Chaudhry. Thousands have joined street protests against Musharraf since March 9, when he ousted the chief justice for alleged misconduct.
Washington has been steadfast in its public support for Musharraf, making clear that the global fight against al-Qaida and the war in neighboring
Afghanistan take priority.
That backing is critical to the general's chances of surviving upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections as the judicial crisis saps his domestic popularity. Pakistan's president is chosen by lawmakers, rather than in a direct vote.
Negroponte, who was joined in his talks by Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, said he had discussed with Musharraf "the importance of Pakistan's continued progress toward democracy."
Parliamentary elections expected at about the end of the year should be "fair, free and transparent," he said.
However, he said it was up to Musharraf alone to answer the question dominating Pakistan's domestic politics of whether he should quit as army chief — the main source of his power — if he remains president.
Adm. William Fallon, commander of the U.S. Central Command, met separately Saturday with the Pakistani president.
A presidential aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Musharraf had told his visitors about efforts to seal the Afghan border, where Pakistan says it has deployed 90,000 troops.
In January, Negroponte told Congress that Pakistan had to do more to address the "sanctuary" that Taliban fighters enjoy in Pakistan before security can improve in Afghanistan.
On Friday, Negroponte insisted those remarks, made when he was director of national intelligence, were couched with appreciation for Pakistan's cooperation and sacrifices.
He declined to reassess of the situation in Pakistan's tribal regions, where the Taliban are believed to draw support and which are considered a possible hiding place for al-Qaida chief
Osama bin Laden.
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Associated Press Writer Munir Ahmad in Islamabad contributed to this report.