Musharraf and Bush - You Have to Scratch Your Head

On one hand, you could say that the relationship between Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf and US President George W. Bush is on excellent terms. They certainly seem friendly in front of the cameras (not always the case with Bush and international leaders). And you would assume from various policy issues and statements of coalition allegiance, that Pakistan is one of the US' primary allies in the "war on terrorism." All of this makes the statements of Musharraf more puzzling - not less.

[Picture courtesy of BBC News

Here we have Musharraf - number one friend - making statements such as the Invasion of Iraq was a mistake that made the world less safe, or that he has no idea where Osama bin Laden is. This following on the heels of Bush's renewed support for the Pakistani President.

Musharraf initially took over position of president in a military coup. He was later "elected" though there have been questions about the validity of that election. Not surprisingly, a law was just passed in Pakistan that allows Musharraf to remain the top General of the Pakistani Army as well as President of Pakistan.

There are questions (outside the White House apparently) about Musharraf's commitment to hunting down al Qaeda given Pakistans long term support of both al Qaeda and the Taliban. But then Pakistan is not unique in that regard as the US also supported (supports?) both as well.

Can you imagine how Bush would respond to say the President of France making the kinds of comments that Musharraf has been making? Or even if Tony Blair was making such statements? Yet Musharraf can go around criticizing Bush's "war on terrorism" and the invasion of Iraq, with relative impunity. It would seem to me that Musharraf must have a tasty piece (or pieces) of information that grants him a fair amount of "liberty." Perhaps it ties back to the real relationship between the ISI and al Qaeda and the Taliban (in which the ISI was the middleman for the US). Or perhaps it ties to the links between the former head of the ISI; his meetings with highly placed officials in the White House, Congress, and Pentagon on the eve of September 11, 2001, and a suspicious $100,000 payment to Mohammed Atta. But then that is just speculation on my part. Maybe Bush just really likes Musharraf.