The Generals Realign in Pakistan's Army
Musharraf appears to be lining up key allies in military.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 2, 2007 — -- Gen. Pervez Musharraf positioned his former spy chief today to take over Pakistan's army if he steps down after presidential elections Saturday.
The Leavenworth-educated Lt. Gen. Ashfaq Kiani is widely considered to be moderate and pro-Western.
He's expected to continue Musharraf's policy of fighting terrorism, a key concern for Washington, which considers Musharraf a crucial ally in the war on terror.
"Any new army chief would support Pakistan's policy in this regard," military spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad told ABC News.
The embattled Pakistani leader is trying to shore up his position by appointing his most trusted lieutenant to succeed him. Musharraf has pledged to step down as army chief if re-elected for another five-year term as president.
Kiani, who was named vice chief of the army today, would automatically assume the power role of army chief when Musharraf steps down.
"This is a positive development, since the Pakistan army needs a full-time general," said Talat Massood, a former defense secretary in Pakistan. "It also shows a commitment on the part of President Musharraf to take off his uniform if he wins."
Pakistan's army has been struggling to contain pro-Taliban insurgents whose influence is spreading rapidly across Pakistan's Northwest Frontier.
Militants have kidnapped more than 300 soldiers in the volatile tribal belt; some were later found beheaded. Meanwhile, a string of bloody suicide attacks has killed hundreds of troops since the year began.
Western military officials have privately expressed concern that the Pakistan army has lost focus in recent months while Musharraf has been preoccupied with a widening political crisis and his struggle to remain in power.
Today, opposition politicians resigned en masse from the parliament, saying they refused to re-elect the military leader to the civilian post of president. His approval ratings have plunged in the last year, and many Pakistanis say it's time for the army to get out of government and return to the barracks.
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