Musharraf's support for the U.S.-led military strikes is critical because Pakistan shares a long border along southeastern Afghanistan. American troops have been based in Pakistan since shortly after September 11, and the U.S. has launched numerous missile strikes through Pakistani airspace into Afghanistan since the attacks began.

Despite his recent support for U.S. actions, Musharraf is hardly a staunch supporter of democracy. As a high-ranking general in Pakistan's army, he seized power in 1999 through a bloodless coup after the country's prime minister had attempted to have Musharraf removed from his job. Instead, soldiers loyal to the general arrested the prime minister and dissolved the constitutional parliament.

Prior to the attacks on the U.S., Musharraf's government supported the Taliban (see "What Is The Taliban?"). As a result, his secret police force was believed to have had close relations with members of al Qaeda. But since shortly after September 11, he has cracked down on extremists in his own administration and on the streets, firing politicians and arresting protestors.

Musharraf's about-face on the Taliban and support for the U.S. strikes are stances not popular with many Pakistanis. And given the country's historical political instability, he may be vulnerable. In a Gallup poll taken in mid-October in Pakistan, 51% of respondents said they supported Musharraf's policies in the current crisis. But 83% of Pakistanis said that they sympathize more with the Taliban than the U.S. Only 16% favored allowing the U.S. military to use Pakistani air bases. Anti-U.S. sentiments are also evident on the streets of Pakistan, where protestors have burned American flags and rallied behind Osama bin Laden since the attacks began.

Originally, Musharraf had asked publicly that the U.S. act as quickly as possible to execute its strikes in Afghanistan, in order to minimize the pain and suffering of civilians living there. But as the Taliban dug in their heels and showed an unwillingness to share power with other more moderate forces in Afghanistan, Musharraf came to accept that U.S.-led strikes could last months, not weeks, according to a report in The New York Times.

What makes Musharraf's potentially shaky grip on power of so much concern to the U.S. and its allies is the country's nuclear weapons arsenal, which, it is feared, could fall into the hands of Pakistani Islamic extremists. But the general-turned-president has reassured the international community that his nation's nuclear facilities are well-secured.

Unlike several other leaders in the region, Musharraf practices secular leadership. Though he is Muslim, Islam is not at the core of his political ideology. He also favors economic reforms and free trade with the West.The New York Times.

What makes Musharraf's potentially shaky grip on power of so much concern to the U.S. and its allies is the country's nuclear weapons arsenal, which, it is feared, could fall into the hands of Pakistani Islamic extremists. But the general-turned-president has reassured the international community that his nation's nuclear facilities are well-secured.

Unlike several other leaders in the region, Musharraf practices secular leadership. Though he is Muslim, Islam is not at the core of his political ideology. He also favors economic reforms and free trade with the West.

If you're interested in learning more about the Al-Jazeera television network, check out a CBS "60 Minutes" report that was broadcast months before the September 11 attacks. To have a look at Al-Jazeera's Web site (all in Arabic), visit www.aljazeera.net. (MTVi's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS.)

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An MTV News Staff report

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