The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual.

There are plenty of jihadist extremists in Pakistan who were already hateful of General Musharraf before today’s move. They hate him because of his non-jihadist relationship with Western governments. The United States considers Musharraf to be an Islamic moderate, and we rely on him as an ally in the War on Terror, and as a partner in easing tensions with nuclear neighbor India. He has already been the target of several serious assassination attempts over the years due to his alliance with the United States, including two attacks where Al-Qaeda operatives are alleged to have had inside information from a member of his military security detail. How much longer will he live before it catches up with him? He supported the American invasion of Afghanistan, and has allowed our troops great latitude in their search for Osama bin Laden and other targets in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. His ability to support our search has been limited by the difficulty of his own political situation – he may be an Islamic moderate, but not everyone in Pakistan is. President Musharraf wears a target on his back because of his anti-terrorist policies.

The BBC reports that Pakistani forces have detained hundreds of clerics and suspected militants since President Musharraf announced a new crackdown on 15 July… The president also vowed to crack down on anti-Western hate speeches in mosques or in recordings. I hope he knows what he is doing. And I hope he is around to keep doing more and better for years to come. If only more of our allies had the convictions of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.