US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested on Friday she would not pressurise Pakistan's leader to give up his army post on a visit next week as Washington balanced its push to spread democracy with its need to support anti-terrorism allies. Asked twice in a Reuter's interview if she would urge President Pervez Musharraf to abandon the top army post, which he has held on to despite a pledge to give it up, Rice said only that she would press for democratic progress.
The top US diplomat praised the general for helping foster stability over the last few years in a nuclear-armed Islamic country with many al Qaeda supporters.
"I will certainly, as the president has done in his discussions, urge that democratic process in Pakistan be advanced," Rice said. "It's awfully important, though, to look at what has happened in Pakistan in three-plus years."
Rice's visit to Pakistan as part of a trip to Asia next week tests how far President George W. Bush will go to back up his pledge to make forging democracy a more central element of bilateral relations in his second term.
A US official, who asked not to be identified, said Rice would focus during the visit on supporting Musharraf for his anti al-Qaeda stance rather than criticising him over democracy.
The Bush administration believes there is no alternative to Musharraf in Pakistan who could better support the US in its war on terrorism, the official said.
"He's our guy He expects praise and he will get it -- lots of it", he said
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Musharraf, who in December broke his pledge to give up his position as chief of army staff, infuriated hard-line Pakistani Islamist groups allied to al-Qaeda by siding with Washington in a global war on terror after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.
Musharraf has made it his mission to defeat forces of religious extremism in the country and coined the term "enlightened moderation" as his philosophy for Pakistan.
"Now you have a president in President Musharraf who said (Pakistan) cannot be both modern and extreme," Rice said.
Listing Musharraf's efforts to reduce extremist teachings in religious schools, fight al-Qaeda and make peace overtures with nuclear rival India, Rice said, "You have to say that they've achieved a lot over the last three years."
Musharraf wields enormous powers despite an ostensible return of civilian rule after 2002 elections. He can dismiss parliament and sack the government -- powers he won after promising to give up his army post by the end of 2004.
Political analysts have doubted the US can push anti-terrorism allies such as Pakistan and Russia too much to improve their weak democratic credentials because Bush's No. 1 priority remains defeating militant groups.
"The role of the United States is to make the continuation of the democratic process (in Pakistan) an important part of our bilateral discussions, and that's what we'll do," Rice said.
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