BREAKING - Musharraf to step down

[Poiuyt]

AP: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto says Pakistani President Musharraf has agreed to step down as army chief.

www.cnn.com

[wndycty]

1. If true DAMN THAT OBAMA!

:kick:

[goclark]

5. What did Obama do?

[Ian David]

6. No, I think it was the scathing comment from Mrs. Obama that did it.

That alleged "anti-Hillary" comment was really directed at Musharraf.

[TwilightGardener]

2. But...he's still in power, no?

[rurallib]

3. Sounds like it. That was the compromise that's been rumored.

[Parche]

4. Musharraf

No one liked him much, I hear he was a real La Whore...........:rofl: :hi:

[Ian David]

7. He's (partially) resigning to spend more time overthrowing his own family. n/t

[truebrit71]

8. ..as Army Chief...NOT as President is my understanding...

..he will still be the 'civilian' president..just NOT in a uniform...

I think....

[ProSense]

9. Diplomacy in action

A change of heart in this regard has taken place following meetings held by a Pakistani-American Shahid Ahmad Khan with top presidential aides. Khan, who has been in the capital for the last seven days, is an adviser to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on South Asia and had arrived in Pakistan as the pointman of John Kerry, who is heading this Senate Committee.

Both Shahid Khan and a legal adviser of Musharraf confirmed the strong possibility of the President shedding off the uniform before the polls. The legal adviser declared that the final decision would be made in the next three to four days. The president’s spokesman, however, denied having any knowledge in this regard.

Shahid Khan has held a string of meetings with Musharraf’s top aides. It was against the backdrop of his parleys that Musharraf’s pointmen left for London to negotiate with Benazir Bhutto. John Kerry has sent Khan on a ‘fact finding’ mission. Khan’s visit is to be followed by a flurry of visits by senior officials of the US State Department like John D Negroponte, Nicholas Burns and John Kerry.

Khan, who was the national co-chair of presidential election campaign of Kerry, is presently the adviser to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee (South Asia). He is also an adviser to the Senatorial Committee of the US Congress and to the Democratic Party.

Khan, along with Musharraf’s legal adviser, confirmed to The News of the plan of the COAS-president to shed his uniform before the presidential election. “There is a now a stronger possibility of this than ever before,” Khan told The News when asked about Musharraf’s plan to doff the uniform before the poll.

<...>

Asked if Senator John Kerry would also be visiting Pakistan, he said: “Yes, probably in the next two months”. He said a senior official of the US State Department, John Negroponte and Nicholas Burns, were also expected to visit Pakistan shortly.

more

SFRC hearing on Pakistan (July)

[blondeatlast]

10. Bears watching--this could get serious. And this came from Bhutto? Hmmm... nt

[Ian David]

11. Found a link and posted it in LBN

(Pervez) Musharraf set to quit as (Pakistan) army chief
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2970954&mesg_id=2970954

[Javaman]

12. Just read an interview with Bhutto about a week ago regarding just this...

She was hoping to negotiate an agreement on sharing power but it was based upon Musharraf giving up as head of the military. Bhutto went on to say that she hoped she would return to Pakistan between now and December but still feared for her life in that country.

[wicket]

13. K & R

:kick: