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I'm not Bush's poodle: Musharraf

Declan Walsh and Simon Tisdall

Rawalpindi: Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf, facing a surge of anti-American sentiment, on Thursday warned that covert U.S. air strikes against Al-Qaeda inside Pakistan were an infringement of national sovereignty.

Admitting that his popularity was waning, the Pakistani President insisted, in an interview with the London-based Guardian newspaper, he was ``not a poodle'' of (U.S. President) George Bush and rejected accusations he was running a military dictatorship.

Speaking at Army House in Rawalpindi weeks after a tense visit by the U.S. President that brought a torrent of domestic criticism, Gen. Musharraf insisted he was his own man.

``When you are talking about fighting terrorism or extremism, I'm not doing that for the U.S. or Britain. I'm doing it for Pakistan,'' he said. ``It's not a question of being a poodle. I'm nobody's poodle. I have enough strength of my own to lead.''

If necessary he had ``teeth'' to bite back, he added. ``Yes sir, I personally do. A lot of teeth. Sometimes the teeth do not have to be shown. Pragmatism is required in international relations.''

Gen. Musharraf pledged to hold free and fair elections next year as urged by Mr. Bush during his visit to Islamabad last month.

``It is ironic that I'm sitting in uniform talking of democracy ... but to bring democracy into Pakistan I thought I needed it,'' he said.

An American Predator drone fired Hellfire missiles at a house in Bajaur tribal agency (part of Pakistan's Tribal Area) in January, killing 18 persons but missing their target, Al-Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

— © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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