Pervez Musharraf finally resigns
Kurt Bassuener August 18th, 2008
After coming to power in late 1999 in a coup against the elected government of Pakistan, General-cum-President Pervez Musharraf resigned today under threat of impeachment by the elected coalition government. It’s about time.
His speech was laden with self-justification, and while he said “it’s possible I might have committed mistakes,” but that everything he did was with “honesty and integrity,” and no mistakes were “intentional.” He claimed “Pakistan is sliding down very fast” which made him “very sad,” and implored the government to think of popular concerns.
The fact Musharraf’s coup was welcomed by significant proportion of the Pakistani population at all was testimony to the poor service given citizens by a succession of alternating civilian and military governments since soon after the country became independent. Pakistan’s feudal reality for many citizens was not eroded one iota under Musharraf’s reign, despite his claims to have been introducing democracy to Pakistan. His rule was an unalloyed exercise in self-indulgence and flagrant violations of democratic norms.
Yet he was aided and abetted in this by the U.S. Early on, the Bush administration began to refer to him as “President Musharraf,” though he conferred the title upon himself. Then, with the attacks on September 11th, 2001, Musharraf became a chief ally in the ill-conceived “war on terror,” and his domestic transgressions were overlooked. The fact that Pakistan, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence service (ISI) was a chief sponsor of the Taliban in Afghanistan, should not be overlooked. It is likely that ISI, or elements thereof, continue to support the Taliban in Afghanistan and western Pakistan, as well as militants in Kashmir. Yet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s response to Musharraf’s resignation was a virtual “attaboy - we’ll miss you”:
We strongly support the democratically elected civilian government in its desire to modernize Pakistan and build democratic institutions. The United States supported the transition to democratic government in Pakistan and respects the results of the election. We believe that respect for the democratic and constitutional processes in that country is fundamental to Pakistan’s future and its fight against terrorism.
President Musharraf has been a friend to the United States and one of the world’s most committed partners in the war against terrorism and extremism. President Musharraf made the critical choice to join the fight against al-Qaida, the Taliban, and other extremist groups that threaten the peace and security of Pakistan, its neighbors, and partners throughout the world. For this, he has our deep gratitude.
We will continue to work with the Pakistani government and political leaders and urge them to redouble their focus on Pakistan’s future and its most urgent needs, including stemming the growth of extremism, addressing food and energy shortages, and improving economic stability. The United States will help with these efforts to see Pakistan reach its goal of becoming a stable, prosperous, democratic, modern, Muslim nation.
In what amounts to DPC’s founding document/manifesto, “America should ditch its tyrant friends,” Eric Witte and Toby Vogel argued that Washington’s uncritical support of Musharraf ran counter to American interests, even in the “war on terror,” as Osama bin Laden became more popular from 2003 to 2005. They continued:
This is only the latest sign that America’s partnership with Musharraf has failed to diminish extremism. The administration must continue to press for action against Al Qaeda, but also start supporting democratic rights. For a skeptical and radicalized Pakistani population, this could begin to establish a measure of U.S. credibility and encourage moderation…
Dictators such as Karimov, Mubarak and Musharraf are latter-day incarnations of Pinochet, Mobutu and the Shah of Iran: “allies” who have made the United States complicit in their despotism.
Political spin will never be able to convince the people of these countries otherwise - and in the age of terrorism, America cannot afford more disillusioned victims of “friendly” dictators.
Earlier this year, we noted the blowback from the Musharraf era on US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte in the cool reception he got from the new democratic Pakistani government, having insisted on a meeting with party leader and power broker former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when the new Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gillani was being inaugurated. Pakistanis will not soon forget the blank check granted Musharraf by Washington.
Pakistan’s return to democratic rule remains fraught, from the legacy of interparty rivalry within the ruling coalition, a military that has often trumped civilian command, and a serious terrorist and militant problem. The country will need support in this effort, not simply pressure on the “war on terror” angle, which remains a very burning issue with increasing NATO casualties in Afghanistan. But the departure of Musharraf from the levers of any power in Pakistan is a welcome development.
