"Bush divides his allies in the war against terror "

[dajoki]

Link
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article349324.ece

Bush divides his allies in the war against terror
The President's visit to Pakistan was cool compared to the way he wooed rivals India

By Justin Huggler, Asia Correspondent
Published: 05 March 2006

Seeking to bolster America's main ally in the "war on terror", President George Bush made his first visit to Pakistan under intense security yesterday. But Pakistani discomfort was visible at the new strategic alliance the US is seeking with India, its historic rival.

In an effort to prevent mass protests against Mr Bush's visit, the Pakistan authorities went so far as to place the former cricket star, Imran Khan, who is now a political opposition leader and was planning to lead a protest march, under house arrest.

But the President was due to spend barely 24 hours in Pakistan, after a visit to India that was nearly three times as long. There was no televised address to the nation, as there had been in India, and Mr Bush came with no offer to match the civilian nuclear technology sharing deal agreed with India last week - a deal seen in the region as acceptance of the country as a member of the "nuclear club".

<<snip>>

President Musharraf and the Pakistan establishment may be friendly to the US, but on the streets anti-American sentiment is intense. Mr Bush was visiting just weeks after a US airstrike on a Pakistan village - intended to assassinate the deputy al-Qa'ida leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri - killed 14 civilians, including several children. There have also been demonstrations against the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed that have turned anti-American.

[m_welby]

1. funny, I just saw this headline at the NY times...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/international/asia/05prexy.html?hp&ex=1141534800&en=85011010e7276317&ei=5094&partner=homepage


Is Bush trying to start more trouble?

I can already hear Condi saying "How could anyone have known that making a nuke deal with india would intensify the enmity, distrust and hatred in pakistan?"