Bush Now Praises Musharraf: "Hasn't Crossed The Line" And "Believes In Democracy"

President Bush yesterday offered his strongest support of embattled Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, saying the general "hasn't crossed the line" and "truly is somebody who believes in democracy."

Bush spoke nearly three weeks after Musharraf declared emergency rule, sacked members of the Supreme Court and began a roundup of journalists, lawyers and human rights activists. Musharraf's government yesterday released about 3,000 political prisoners, although 2,000 remain in custody, according to the Interior Ministry.

The comments, delivered in an interview with ABC News anchor Charles Gibson, contrasted with previous administration statements -- including by Bush himself -- expressing grave concern over Musharraf's actions. In his first public comments on the crisis two weeks ago, Bush said his aides bluntly warned Musharraf that his emergency measures "would undermine democracy."

Read entire story here.

Comments

[hermesacat]

01:54 PM on 11/23/2007

Well, the British Commonwealth strongly disagrees with Bush about Musharaff!

Commonwealth countries met officially this week in Uganda. The Queen even showed.
At the meeting, Commonwealth countries,in a binding vote, voted to suspend Pakistan from the Commonwealth, since Musharaff has refused to step down as military head, and refused to end his declaration of emergency powers that make him even more of an absolute dictator than ever before.

Ironically, Uganda was also once suspended from the Commonwealth when Idi Amin was dictator.
Post-Idi, Uganda has since been welcomed back into the fold.
Pakistan will likely need to remove Musharaff from power before it too can be rehabilitated and rejoin Commonwealth club.

[drblack]

11:59 AM on 11/23/2007

Bush loves totalitarian governments. Bush, neoCONS, republicans and Radical christians all want to destroy American Freedom and end the rule of law as put forward in The Constitution.
Few republicans respect the Constitution.

[ajax2]

11:40 AM on 11/23/2007

All developing countries need to understand that when Bush speaks of democracy Military Dictator Musharraf is what he means.

[Jamchinadian]

11:28 AM on 11/23/2007

Phew - my head is spinning. True enough, Shrub is "intellectually challenged". We know it and he knows it - he does know that much. But it's not about that. Neither is it about Shrub's obvious hypocrisy. And of couse it's laughable (to us) that Shrub could say with a straight face that Mushy has "not crossed the line". That, and a lot more, is true.

But the real issue here is that Shrub is a cowardly egotist. He is unable to face Musharraf down!!! It's the other way around - Musharraf couldn't care less what Shrub or Condi have to say. He does what he sees as necessary in his own self-interest.

Shrub knows that as well. So since Mushy is simply unmoved by any of Shrub's meek protestations what's little DUmBya to do? There's no point repeating his meows. So he declares Mushy to be a pal, a great ally. So if Mushy is alright, there is no reason to pushback, is there? Got it?!

And Shrub knows that 3 out of 10 Americans will buy the BUSHshit, drink the Kool-Aid, regardless, and the so-called journalists will simply quote him without any critical commentary.

He also knows, the silent majority who see through his crap, will only bellyache loudly - or at least some will. The rest will just take it passively. So that is what it's about.

It's about Shrub making a strategic retreat from (yet another) fight he can't win. He cannot win against the grown men in this world. He can only win against the tragically spineless Dems. Hopefully, hopefully they (Dems) will follow through on the occasional small sign that they have started to grow some.

[Macready]

05:10 AM on 11/23/2007

Musharaff's kind of democracy is the only kind of democracy the chimp and the big dick understand . .. meanwhile Pakistan has been kicked out the Commonwealth . . .

[doinaheckofajob]

10:21 PM on 11/22/2007

Who is the bigger dictator? Bush or Mush?

[ajax2]

09:39 PM on 11/22/2007

Bush, "this is what democracy looks like".

[VivaZapata]

08:49 PM on 11/22/2007

he's not stupid because he believes this load of stuff; he's stupid because he thinks he can get us to believe it.

[loki]

03:23 PM on 11/22/2007

In between keeping the from killing each other and basting the turkey, Im catching Charlie Rove interviewing Karl Rove. Talk about a walking back of shit and spin. If I caught it correctly, he he is claiming he wrote his 4th grade term paper on the the evils of Marx socialism.
First of all, who has a term paper in 4th grade?

At least Rove has ask him harder questions than anyone in the press has ever done. But now hearing Rove, and hoping to see some logic behind his method, all I see is the mental madness. He is using this interview to spin and spread more propaganda, and he isnt even very believable. Scary he is such a major influence on such a moronic president.

[loki]

03:12 PM on 11/22/2007

Bush, representing the Republican morality and ideology.

You must be proud

[Violet47]

01:17 PM on 11/22/2007

Stat of Terror on Sundance channel about Peru under Frumagji(sp? oriental prez) and how he siezed control was one of Karl Rove's study methods for our guy, bush.
Really frightening movie, because this guy's tactics are just similar to what we have now.

[Benny59]

10:20 AM on 11/22/2007

..."the general "hasn't crossed the line" and "truly is somebody who believes in democracy."

Who sets the "line"? President Bush? What a great joke that is!

[getoffmedz]

03:24 AM on 11/22/2007

President General Pervez Musharraf is a very serious loose nuclear cannon despite misinformation being circulated that the U.S. has "a handle" on Pakistani nuclear weapons.

There is a good chance the Persian Gulf 5th Fleet, Arabian Sea assets and their ordinance could be used on Pakistani nuclear facilities as well as Iranian facilities?

The Bush/Cheney foreign policies foisted on the world during their two terms is truly a cluster fuck and a total mess which may really spawn WWIII.

A broader war including Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey (already involved), Pakistan and Iran would most certainly draw in India, Russia and China.

Look at your maps, y'all!

[Tankan]

07:05 PM on 11/21/2007

I'm a dictator, NO, I'm a republican democrat, NO WAIT, I think I'm much better as a dictator, BUT AGAIN, George is pulling my strings, YES, I'll walk the line! I'll leave the army, I'll trust the peoples intelligence!
I think I'll have to think it out again!
Hello George, are you sure about this democracy rubbish? Would it not be much easier to ruin, I mean run things, if we both......
Oh I see... those blasted Democrats, just like a badly trained dog, can't get them to lay down when you command them! Ah well, it's been fun George, the taliban are at the back gates painting Osama's face on the nukes!

[researcher]

03:59 PM on 11/21/2007

he is our puppet leave him alone.

god bless america we have the best puppets in the world and when they dont puppet we invade and steal their oil. $$$$$$$

black water (oil)forever baby.

god I love fascism sent both my kids to an elitist university and paid tuition with hally burton stock gains. and even could afford a new foreign car for both of them.

god bless you middle class you just keep on giving. love ya for working two and three jobs to make ends meet to pay twice the tax rate as we have mores.

and to have open borders god I love ya. those folks I dont even have to pay social security tax or workers comp on just a few bucks under the table.

god bless america greatest nation on earth.

signed
evangel neo con

ps jesus was a capitalist you know.