When The U.S. Says Jump, It Wants Pakistan To Jump

A good overview of Musharraf's visit to the boss.

Musharraf's pleas to Bush to help resolve the Kashmir dispute - the world's most dangerous crisis that risks nuclear war between India and Pakistan - were ignored. "Take your money, go home, arrest more militants, and don't cause trouble," was Washington's sendoff message to the general.
>>"Commondreams: Eric Margolis":http://commondreams.org/views03/0629-05.htm

An overview of the years since 911:

Obey, Washington warned Islamabad, or we will foreclose your loans, impose trade sanctions, cut off spare parts, and give India a green light to go after you. Tough Zia ul-Haq, Pakistan's last military ruler, would have stood up to American bullying. Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto would have cleverly managed to somehow finesse Washington's threats. But Musharraf, with a near-bankrupt nation, and faced with what he viewed as a Hobson's choice between obedience and ruin, caved in to Washington's demands and became, overnight, its compliant servitor. >>"Commondreams: Eric Margolis":http://commondreams.org/views03/0629-05.htm

It's a good summary, but even Zia would have wilted under the pressure. He would have made a lot more noise, but would have done mostly the same. Now if 911 had happened in the days when Benazir was on the cover of magazines around the world we would have gotten a lot more than a measly 3 billion dollars. Even if she had succeced in her quest to become Queen of Pakistan, it would have been a lot harder for US commentators to just label her off as another general/dictator, and we would have gotten a friendlier press. In America winning the press is 90% of the battle, so this country would have been a lot better off.