When Pervez Musharraf reneged on his promise to step down as the Army Chief, his pal in the State Department had nothing to say. The State Dept. spokesman, aka Washington Bob said that United States will continue to promote democracy in Pakistan but did not have the courage to ask the General to step down. But US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist had the guts to say what Colin Powell could not, and that too standing in Pakistan. But even Bill Frist did not say it at the General’s face, it just came as an after thought
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist stressed Washington’s desire to see progress toward democracy in Pakistan, and said a decision by the country’s military ruler to renege on a promise to step down as army chief could send “the wrong signal.”
“The United States and our government and our Congress are of course very interested in seeing civilian democratic rule as soon as possible,” said Frist, a Tennessee Republican.
We didn’t talk specifically about it. We probably should have brought it up. There is some concern about his reversal – and the signals that it could send – to give up his army title. Our constituents at home would ask the question, or make the statement, ‘Does that send the wrong signal?'”[Frist Pushes for Democracy in Pakistan]
