Musharraf put in motion a trifecta of trouble for the Bush administration

[rodeodance]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21637409/

Bush forced to reassess his faith in Musharraf
Musharraf put in motion a trifecta of trouble for the Bush administration

updated 3:11 p.m. CT, Mon., Nov. 5, 2007

WASHINGTON - President Bush says he gains influence with world leaders by building personal relations with them. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf got a dose of that diplomacy at the White House last fall, when Bush hailed him as a friend and a voice of moderation.

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The crisis revealed the limits of Bush's leverage.

Rice outreach not successful
His top diplomat, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, had implored Musharraf not to suspend the constitution and invoke emergency rule. Such outreach had worked before. It did not this time.

On Sunday, the second day of the crisis, Bush's team showed public signs of reassessing its options.
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Making matters worse: The parliamentary elections in Pakistan, considered by the U.S. to be a genuine step toward democracy in Pakistan, have long been scheduled for January. They now may be delayed up to a year.

"Let's not be delusional about the U.S. government's influence. This is a huge, complex country, and most everything is going to happen outside of our play," said Rick Barton, a Pakistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "But we can be a leader here.".........

[wake.up.america]

1. This administration has to be most short-sighted of all, which has occupied the White House.

This could have been avoided.