Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for calling this important hearing, particularly at a time of heightened political crisis in Islamabad.
 
I want to join with you in welcoming our distinguished Deputy Secretary of State to the Committee.

General Musharraf’s recent actions are deplorable.

His expressed commitments have proven to be only empty promises.

He has betrayed the trust of the United States and of the Pakistani people.

He suspended the constitution and dismissed most of the Supreme Court’s judges.

This, in addition to the arrest of over 500 lawyers, opposition politicians and human rights advocates, can only be described as a devastating blow to Pakistani democracy. 

New restrictions have also been placed on the print and broadcast media.

The Musharaff government is seeking to prevent the media from broadcasting or publishing statements that, in the government’s view, "abet terrorist activities or terrorism."

They are also banning the media from reporting on anything that is deemed to be ridiculing or defaming top officials, or from providing "live coverage of incidents of violence,” such as public demonstrations.

By taking Pakistan off the path toward democracy and civilian rule, General Musharaff has further jeopardized social stability -- not enhanced it.

This is what Asma Jahangir had to say about the current situation in Pakistan.

She is a former Time Magazine “Asian Hero,” a member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and a former Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights.

She says:

“…the President [Musharaff]…said that he had to clamp down on the press and the judiciary to curb terrorism. Those he has arrested are progressive, secular minded people while the terrorists are offered negotiations and ceasefires.”

My colleagues, we must look beyond the immediate developments and consider the long-term implications of the policy decisions we make in the coming days.

Some such as David Ignatius of the Washington Post and Gary Sick, professor at Columbia University, warn of parallels to Iran in the late 1970s.

Thus, we must proceed with caution in deciding our future relationship with Pakistan.

We must continue to express unequivocal support for the Pakistani people’s clear desire for a transition to democratic, civilian rule. 

We must hold General Musharaff to his commitments.

He must step back from his present path, and resign as Army Chief of Staff, before re-taking the presidential oath of office.

He must hold free and fair general elections, as promised, by January 15th. 

In light of anti-military coup restrictions contained in U.S. law, it would be appropriate for the Administration to place our security assistance programs to Pakistan under review.

Yet, it would be counter-productive to suspend assistance that directly benefits the Pakistani people or which supports counterterrorism cooperation against al-Qaeda and other extremist elements.

Al Qaeda and other extremists are launching increasingly bold attacks against the Pakistani state and society.   

Fueled by the unchecked growth of the narcotics trade, the Taliban are extending their reach in Afghanistan. 

As shown by the siege against the Red Mosque and ongoing military operations in the Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan has become increasingly vulnerable to the growing reach of the Taliban. 

Kashmiri jihadists and other extremists, appear to be cooperating in the tribal areas with a reconstituted Al Qaeda.

They seek to destabilize Islamabad and use Pakistan as a base of operations to strike against the U.S. and the West.

It remains in our nation’s long-term interest to forge an enduring strategic partnership with a democratic, stable and prosperous Pakistan that remains a strong partner in the campaign against Islamist militants and which maintains responsible controls over its nuclear weapons technology.

What happens in Pakistan has implications for our homeland security, and I am particularly grateful that Ambassador Negroponte, given his previous role as Director of National Intelligence, is appearing before us today to share his insight and discuss options.