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if anyone's wondering why Osama's still out there...
ABC News: Pakistani Leader Takes On Blair
Interview Highlights: On Bin Laden
McFadden: If you found him, would you turn him over to the Americans?
Musharraf: Now this — we'll see — we'll see what happens.
McFadden: Hard issue.
Musharraf: We hope he's found in Afghanistan by the Americans.
McFadden: I bet. [both chuckle a bit]. It would raise enormous problems for you at home … Many have suggested that it is easier for Pakistan to have Osama bin Laden not captured than to have to deal with the reality of Osama bin Laden in captivity.
Musharraf: These are sensitive issues. He has a clout in certain brand of people. So… therefore I would much prefer that somebody else handled him.
Understandable, in a way. However. . .
McFadden: I want to read you something that the CIA chief in the United States said and get your reaction to it. He said that American intelligence "has an excellent idea of where bin Laden is but we are probably not going to bring Mr. bin Laden to justice because very difficult questions dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states." Most people read this as Pakistan won't go in and let us grab him.
Musharraf: Yes, we won't let anyone come into Pakistan. This is an extremely sensitive issue here. We are capable of doing it. If we get intelligence, we will do it ourselves. Now as I said — how does anyone other than us know where he is? We are carrying out operations. We — we should be given intelligence and we will act. So why should anyone from outside come? This is an extremely sensitive issue with the people of Pakistan.
McFadden: If Osama bin Laden were captured in the streets of America there would be celebration. In the streets of Pakistan what would the reaction be?
Musharraf: There won't be — there will not be celebrations certainly. Huh, there will be negative reactions from extremists. The moderates will just like to remain quiet. That will be the reaction I think in Pakistan.
So on the one hand Musharraf wants someone else to "handle" bin Laden, but on the other, if he's in Pakistan, Musharraf won't let anyone else come in to do it. bin Laden, there's your get out of jail free card: don't make your presence in Pakistan too obvious, and you can stay there for life.
Interview Highlights: On Bin Laden
McFadden: If you found him, would you turn him over to the Americans?
Musharraf: Now this — we'll see — we'll see what happens.
McFadden: Hard issue.
Musharraf: We hope he's found in Afghanistan by the Americans.
McFadden: I bet. [both chuckle a bit]. It would raise enormous problems for you at home … Many have suggested that it is easier for Pakistan to have Osama bin Laden not captured than to have to deal with the reality of Osama bin Laden in captivity.
Musharraf: These are sensitive issues. He has a clout in certain brand of people. So… therefore I would much prefer that somebody else handled him.
Understandable, in a way. However. . .
McFadden: I want to read you something that the CIA chief in the United States said and get your reaction to it. He said that American intelligence "has an excellent idea of where bin Laden is but we are probably not going to bring Mr. bin Laden to justice because very difficult questions dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states." Most people read this as Pakistan won't go in and let us grab him.
Musharraf: Yes, we won't let anyone come into Pakistan. This is an extremely sensitive issue here. We are capable of doing it. If we get intelligence, we will do it ourselves. Now as I said — how does anyone other than us know where he is? We are carrying out operations. We — we should be given intelligence and we will act. So why should anyone from outside come? This is an extremely sensitive issue with the people of Pakistan.
McFadden: If Osama bin Laden were captured in the streets of America there would be celebration. In the streets of Pakistan what would the reaction be?
Musharraf: There won't be — there will not be celebrations certainly. Huh, there will be negative reactions from extremists. The moderates will just like to remain quiet. That will be the reaction I think in Pakistan.
So on the one hand Musharraf wants someone else to "handle" bin Laden, but on the other, if he's in Pakistan, Musharraf won't let anyone else come in to do it. bin Laden, there's your get out of jail free card: don't make your presence in Pakistan too obvious, and you can stay there for life.