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American Morning

Talking with Musharraf

Aired September 02, 2002 - 07:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get now to one of President Bush's most important allies in the war on terror, Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf.
Christiane Amanpour sat down earlier today with the president to talk about a range of issues, including the thorny issue of Iraq and others.

Christiane is live in Islamabad, for more on her exclusive interview, with us now.

Good afternoon to you there in Pakistan -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill, and all of your viewers.

Indeed, we did speak to President Musharraf today, and we did talk about issues basically connected to September 11.

Basically what was interesting was that he said one year after September 11, when, you know, he made that historic U-turn in Pakistani policy to join the West, to join the U.S. against terrorism, he said that that had been a net plus for Pakistan. That even though there had been a rise in militancy here in Pakistan, and that they were causing, as he called it, "a nuisance," he felt it gave him the opportunity to do what he had always wanted to do, and that was to confront them, as he called it, "head on." He said he is doing that, and he is sure that in the long run, they will win out here, the forces of law and order.

As for al Qaeda, despite the words, for instance, coming from that journalist you reported saying that Osama bin Laden may be alive, the president of Pakistan says that he may, in fact, be dead, although, of course, no one, including the president, is offering any concrete evidence either way.

He also said that he would not accept any new U.S. troops on the ground here, if there was a call by the U.S. to widen the hunt for al Qaeda beyond Afghanistan; for instance, to come back into Pakistan.

But on the issue of the day, which is, of course, what kind of support there may be out here in the world for any U.S. military intervention into Iraq, the president of Pakistan was quite clear. He said that Pakistan wanted nothing to do with it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: I wouldn't like to get involved at all. I wouldn't like Pakistan to get involved in this at all. We have too much on our hands here, internally and regionally. We wouldn't like to get involved anywhere else.

AMANPOUR (on camera): Well, what effect do you think it might have, if the United States goes to war against Saddam Hussein?

MUSHARRAF: I think it certainly will have an adverse effect on the Islamic world, and also in other parts. I don't think there is full support to it, even in the European Union, and in many other big powers, like Russia and China, being against it. So I think it's going to disturb -- cause a lot of imbalance.

AMANPOUR: Are you saying that just like on September 11, when the president asked you to support him against the Taliban, if the president of the United States asked you to support him in the move against Saddam Hussein, support in any form or fashion, you would not?

MUSHARRAF: No, we wouldn't like to get involved. I don't think Pakistan would like to get involved at all.

AMANPOUR: If the U.S. built up a coalition of Europeans, countries in the Muslim world, would that make you feel less uncomfortable about it?

MUSHARRAF: There is no point, and we have no geographical affinity with Iraq. And therefore, this is no point in our getting involved in a place which does not have geographical affinity. And since we also have so much to do here in Pakistan, I don't think we would like to get involved at all.

AMANPOUR: When the U.S. wanted to go to war against the Taliban, many analysts, many people in this part of the world said that it would have a negative effect in the Islamic world, that there would be an uprising from one end to the next. Of course, that didn't happen. The operation was a success. The Afghans seem to be better off and happier.

Why do you think it would have a negative effect in the Islamic world to remove Saddam Hussein?

MUSHARRAF: It's not a question of removing Saddam Hussein. It's a question of attacking a country, attacking another Muslim country.

At the moment, all of the political disputes, all military actions, all of the casualties and sufferings are by the Muslims around the world, because all of the political disputes involve Muslims, unfortunately. And more unfortunately, Muslims happen to be at the receiving end everywhere.

So therefore, another act of action against a country -- I am not talking of Saddam Hussein as an individual -- against a Muslim country will certainly have its impact.

AMANPOUR: You are aware, obviously, that some of your unkinder critics here at home have accused you of being too much in the -- doing the bidding of the United States. You have a nickname among some circles, "Busharraf." You've heard that.

MUSHARRAF: Yes. Yes, I have heard that. Well, we have done everything in our national interests, and on a matter of principles, and this is a very unkind remark. We take our stand in accordance with what the nation requires.

All that I am doing, I take national interests, first of all. And the very fact that you are talking of Iraq, we are not going along. So this is not at all true that we go along. We see our own national interests, and we move accordingly.

AMANPOUR: So it doesn't bother you, those kinds of...

MUSHARRAF: Well, so much is happening, so much -- people talk so much, and we haven't stifled the press and the media. That goes to our credit. And so, therefore, I am prepared to listen to all -- these are personal views of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: President Musharraf said that despite some of the pressures that he is under, he, nonetheless, will maintain his pro- U.S. stance in terms of his fight against terrorism, will continue to cooperate, and says that Pakistan remains committed to the hunt for al Qaeda and the fight against Osama bin Laden.

Also saying that he could not rule out the possibility of any attacks against Western targets in this part of the world on the anniversary of September 11, and Pakistan's security is beefed up -- Bill.

HEMMER: Christiane Amanpour, live in Islamabad.

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