NEW DELHI -- Despite making the spread of freedom the rallying cry of his second term, U.S. President George W. Bush has found it difficult to visit the world's largest democracy, India, without also stopping to meet the Pakistani president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.
In recent days Bush has called Musharraf "my buddy" and hailed his "vision for a democracy in Pakistan," although the general has repeatedly broken his pledge to return Pakistan to democracy since grabbing power in a bloodless coup 6 1/2 years ago.
Indeed, Musharraf has marginalized mainstream political parties even as he has forged an alliance with Islamist groups and failed, as army chief and president, to end his military's cozy ties with terrorist outfits.