Investor's Business Daily, July 31st, 2007
War On Terror: That Pakistan's president is in secret talks with an exiled pro-Western leader to share political power is welcome news. It offers hope that his double-dealing with militants will end.
As we've documented over the past few years on these pages, Gen. Pervez Musharraf has been a reluctant partner in our battle against terrorists and has little respect for Western-style democracy. Against the prevailing wisdom in Washington, we've argued that he is not an indispensable ally. He has proven a liability, undermining our anti-terror efforts.
Most recently, he abandoned Pakistan's border tribal areas to the Taliban and al-Qaida, giving Osama bin Laden a secure base from which to launch new attacks. In typical fashion, he now denies U.S. intelligence warning that al-Qaida central has regrouped in the tribal belt thanks to his amnesty deal.
He won't acknowledge the problem, yet he assures us he is part of the solution. Just keep those F-16s coming.
If Musharraf can't or won't deliver on his repeated promises to crack down on terrorists -- in exchange for $10 billion in aid and climbing -- there are other leaders less tied to Pakistan's jihadi-supporting military who are waiting in the wings.
One of them is Benazir Bhutto, a true friend of the West, who has vowed to take back her country from the extremists Musharraf has all too often appeased.
"There is militancy, terrorism and violence. My government and I have experience dealing with it," she said after meeting with a beset Musharraf in the United Arab Emirates. "If we could get another opportunity, I would certainly take the challenge."
She added: "I don't want the people of Pakistan to face terror at the hands of the Taliban and their allies in al-Qaida and become refugees in foreign lands. I want to try and save my country, if I can."
Bhutto, who twice served as Pakistan's prime minister, accused Musharraf of adopting an "appeasement policy" toward extremists that had only strengthened them. "We must pursue these people," she asserted.
As we argued in a May 21 editorial ("Have We Been Betrayed By Pakistan?"), Bhutto likely would not hesitate to prove her terror-fighting bona fides to the U.S.
She already has vowed to disarm the madrassas that Musharraf has not only refused to shut down but put under the charge of a radical religious minister who recently exhorted Muslims to take revenge against London for knighting author Salman Rushdie. He even encouraged suicide bombings. We cannot imagine this official would still have his job with Bhutto in Islamabad.
We are also confident she would restore civilian rule.
Musharraf, who grabbed power in a 1999 military coup, has repeatedly broken his word to take off his uniform and restore democracy. Not only has he kept his post as head of the army, but he has given himself the power to fire the prime minister and dissolve parliament.
There are signs, however, that he'd be willing to give up some power in a deal with Bhutto, who could help him restore order and stability.
Musharraf is battling pro-democracy secularists opposed to his strong-arm tactics, including his recent firing of a high-court justice who challenged his power-grabbing. His commitment to cracking down on al-Qaida was always in question. Now he's losing control internally.
Bhutto has the support of the secularists and would be a partner we could actually trust to crack down on the Islamists. Washington should ease return -- and stop giving Musharraf a blank check.
