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Bush praises Musharraf's role in war on terror
Speaking to the US National Guard, Bush recounted that a regime (Pakistan) that once supported Taliban was now engaged in routing them.
Pakistan's role in the war on terror and President Pervez Musharraf's "courageous decision" to join forces with the US in the effort came in for renewed praise by President George W Bush ahead of his visit to Islamabad and New Delhi early next month.
Speaking to the US National Guard here Friday, Bush recounted that a regime (Pakistan) that once supported terrorists like the Taliban was now engaged in routing them as well as Al-Qaeda.
He conceded that Afghanistan still faced serious challenges, from illicit drug trafficking to continued violence from Al-Qaeda and the remnants of the Taliban regime.
But some 40 nations were involved in a virtual Marshall Plan effort to bring Afghanistan's economy around.
"A little over four years ago, Pakistan was only one of three countries in the world that recognised the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Today Pakistani forces are risking their lives in the hunt for Al Qaeda," Bush asserted.
He added, "President Musharraf has faced several attempts on his life since his courageous decision to join the war on terror."
He also noted how terrorist supporters operated from Saudi Arabia freely before September 11, 2001, but now the flow of money out of the country was down.
"These and other governments around the world are stepping forward to fight the terrorists because they know the lives of their citizens are at stake.
"President Musharraf said something interesting: 'Terrorism threatens to destabilise all modern societies. It cannot be condoned for any reason or cause. The people of Pakistan have suffered from terrorism, (and) we are making our contribution to the fight against terrorism.'"
"President Musharraf is right. In the war against terror, there is no separate peace -- and no nation can stand on the sidelines," he said.
The US president is scheduled to visit Pakistan following his trip to India in early March.
Over the last two weeks, Bush has been on the defensive about the domestic spying scandal but has repeatedly asserted he moved within US law to allow wiretapping of US citizens. He has repeatedly used as an example a thwarted Al-Qaeda attack on Los Angeles in 2002.
"It took the combined efforts of several countries to break up this plot. By working together, we took dangerous terrorists off the streets; by working together we stopped a catastrophic attack on our homeland," said Bush.
