US cautious on crisis

WASHINGTON—The White House offered a measured response Tuesday as Pakistan’s opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, placed under house arrest again, demanded that embattled President Gen. Pervez Musharraf resign. “We remain concerned ... (but) we are hopeful that moderate elements would join together,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters traveling with President Bush to Indiana.
Bhutto on Tuesday urged Musharraf to step down and ruled out serving under him in a future government after she was placed under house arrest for the second time in five days. The development marked another setback for a U.S. ally that has slid into crisis and away from the democracy it had promised.
With the political turmoil deepening, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was headed to Pakistan and expected to reiterate Washington’s calls for Musharraf to lift the state of emergency. Musharraf’s critics and chief international backers, including the United States, have said the restrictions imposed by the military leader — such as on independent media and rallies — would make it hard to hold a fair vote in upcoming parliamentary elections.—Agencies
Meanwhile, Bhutto was trapped in a padlocked house surrounded by thousands of riot police, trucks, tractors loaded with sand, and a row of metal barricades topped with barbed wire. She was being held to prevent her from leading a protest procession; the government said it was being done for her safety. Perino reiterated that Pakistan should get back on a path to democracy, and “the political parties in Pakistan should all be working together toward that goal.”
Asked about Bhutto calling for Musharraf to step down, Perino said the situation is evolving rapidly. “There’s a lot of political tension,” she said. Musharraf is a key U.S. partner in the battle against terrorism. Bush has sought to make clear that Musharraf’s dictatorial clampdown is a mistake without condemning a leader whom he considers an ally and a friend. He has called for Musharraf to step down from his role as army chief as promised.