US has no wand: Musharraf
* Says West misunderstands Pakistan in three areas
DAVOS/LONDON: President Pervez Musharraf reiterated on Friday that Pakistan opposes the prospect of US forces on its soil, claiming that the US should beef up its presence in Afghanistan to deal with the insur gency there.
Responding to a question on US Defence Secretary Robert Gates’ offer to send a small number of troops to Pakistan, he told several hundred VIPs in Davos that “This cannot be done by any US force. Please don’t think that the US forces have some kind of a magic wand and they’ll come and lead to success.” He said the US needed more forces in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan would ask for US help if it needed it, reported AP.
Later, talking to security and defence experts at the Royal United Services Institute in London, he said he was a strong believer in freedom of speech, as long it did not lead to violence and destruction.
Three areas: According to Reuters, Musharraf said there were three areas in which the West misunderstood Pakistan; the notion that the dismissal of judges was somehow a human rights issue, that next month’s elections might not be free or fair and that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons were not properly secured.
Earlier, speaking to reporters at Heathrow Airport, he termed his visit to Belgium, France and Switzerland highly productive as it provided him an opportunity to correct the national image. He said he was looking forward to meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday to discuss wide-ranging issues of common interest. agencies
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Aarwaa
Pakistan is ruled by three As - Army, America and Allah.
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