World News: US backs Pakistani moderates

The US announced today that it is talking with moderate political parties before Pakistan's election giving them their support, the US have cited that President Musharraf is a 'vital ally' in the middle east.
An US spokesman said today that it wants to back moderate political parties in it's bid to defeat vicious terrorism. The US have again denied that they are not trying to force Musharraf to join up with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
The US secretary for South Asia came back from a two-day meeting in Pakistan saying that Musharraf is commited to working on a programme for many years to develop civil society.
Musharraf is vital to the West in our war on terror. He has shown commitment to defeat the evil that is terrorism since and before 9/11. If we lose Pakistan to the extremists or a political party not so inclined to defeat terrorism, the consequences could be horrific, with a new taliban and Al-Qaeda base on Afghanistans door-stop, this could potentially topple to newly formed democratic government of Afghanistan under Karsai.
The US does not want to be seen in intervening with soveriegn nations, but it is obvious that if Musharraf lost the next election, it would be a huge blow to President Bush's administration.

"There's a definite commitment there for the election, but it's also part of a bigger programme. It fits with making a stable transition from military rule to a newly-elected government this fall, and that's a process we look faoward to " - Richard Boucher (US assistant secretary of State)

Critics of the Pakistani President have said that the president's connection with the White House is too cordial and many islamists are using this as propaganda against the president. It will be a tough slog, the only victory for the West comes from a Musharraf victory.

By PETER SELF

Singapore