How will that sit with Pakistans allies, particularly the United States?
The United States in this case is clearly a factor. Only a few weeks ago, as this crisis was building, there was a well-documented rumour circulating in Islamabad, [that] the president had signed a decree of emergency power, but immediately received a call from (U.S. Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice, who told him rather bluntly that the United States did not wish to support an undemocratic process in Pakistan. At that point the announcement went out from the presidential office that there was going to be no emergency decree. What influence does radical Islam have on Pakistan politics? The Islamists in Pakistan are a threat to the elite of Pakistan. There’s been a number of attempts on the leaders, since the Red Mosque [siege]. Suicide bombers have taken a toll on the military and civilian population. The spectre of a nuclear-armed Pakistan coming under the control of a Taliban fundamentalist regime seems like a highly unlikely outcome of this crisis. They do not command popular sup
