Diplomacy of the bizarre. Was faintly amused by this article, but don’t think that I think the issue is solely amusing. The first thing that strikes you, of course (because it’s in the title) is that everyone is shocked and surprised that Pakistan president Musharraf listed as one of his reasons for supporting the US in the war on the Taliban that we threatened him.
President Bush President said Friday he was "taken aback" by a purported U.S. threat to bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age if it did not cooperate in the fight against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Now, before you leave the article with the impression that Bush is just showing a surprise face because he doesn’t want anyone to know that we threatened Pakistan, lets find out who actually did the threatening.
In an interview to air Sunday, Musharraf said that after terrorists struck the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told Pakistan's intelligence director the United States would bomb his country if it didn't help.
Ahhh. This is the same Armitage that just recalled that he was indeed the one that leaked Valery Plame’s name to the press years ago. This guy is causing all sorts of political and diplomatic damage, and is continuing to be a golden beacon in the night for every future president after Bush that the first thing they need to do is clean house in the State Department.
The second thing that caught my funny bone was Bush’s statement.
Said Bush: "I believe him."
He said that Musharaff had looked him in the eye and vowed that "the tribal deal is intended to reject the Talibanization of the people and that there won't be a Taliban and there wont be al-Aqaida (in Pakistan)."
Say, when was the last time we remember Bush looking into a foreign leader’s eyes and then declaring that he trusted him? Oh, yeah, it was Vladimir Putin. Forgive me if I still don’t quite trust Musharraf from this point on.
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