Diplomats: Bush was Musharraf?s ?last holdout? in Washington.
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on August 20th, 2008 4:32 am by HL
Diplomats: Bush was Musharraf?s ?last holdout? in Washington.
Pakistani newspaper Dawn reports that that “diplomatic sources in Washington” reveal that President Bush was President Musharraf’s “last holdout” in the U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice “had long given up” on Musharraf, but Bush “remained faithful” to his “close ally and personal friend”: Ambassador Patterson argued that if Washington continued […]
Pakistani newspaper Dawn reports that that “diplomatic sources in Washington” reveal that President Bush was President Musharraf’s “last holdout” in the U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice “had long given up” on Musharraf, but Bush “remained faithful” to his “close ally and personal friend”:
Ambassador Patterson argued that if Washington continued supporting Mr Musharraf it would end up stoking massive anti-American feelings in Pakistan. […]
“President Bush was the last holdout,” said the expert. “But after a good luncheon at the White House with people who had their hearts in the right place, Mr Bush also realised that he can no longer save Mr Musharraf.” The prime minister took a team of “Musharraf experts” with him to the luncheon and they played a key role in persuading Mr Bush to stop supporting the Pakistani leader.
The paper adds that the administration endorsed Musharraf’s departure once it was assured that he “would not be arrested, prosecuted or punished in any other way.” (HT: Juan Cole)