Musharraf visits Iran en route to the West
Expecting a warm welcome in France, Britain and the United States, the West’s most vital ally in the war on terror, Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf, unexpectedly visited Iran and Turkey en route today.
According to the government, Musharraf was supposed to fly this evening but instead left unannounced early today, apparently for security reasons.
Musharraf made the unannounced stops to meet officials in both Iran and Turkey, before continuing to France.
Most of the world shunned the army general when he staged the October 1999 coup that ousted an elected civilian government.
But since then, he has been praised for bringing a measure of stability to Pakistan, and his strong support of the US military campaign in Afghanistan has made him an invaluable ally to the US led coalition.
Domestic opposition has been tolerated but several political leaders have been placed under house arrest.
Such moves have brought criticism in the past, but the US and other Western governments have only praise for Musharraf these days. As a result, he now feels secure enough to embark on a six day foreign trip, his most important since coming to power.
Musharraf has already benefited from American moves to prop up Pakistan’s sluggish economy, and will be looking for additional political and economic support in his talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, and US President George Bush.
