Photo Gallery Pakistan under Musharraf
Musharraf described US President George W. Bush as a "friend," saying, "I will miss him very much." As a key ally in the war on terror, his country has been the recipient of $10 billion (6.7 billion) in aid from the United States since Sept. 11, 2001,
On Dec. 27, Musharraf's greatest rival, former premier and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated at a political rally. Bhutto was seen as a symbol of hope for a moderate, democratic Pakistan.
Bhutto's family (including father Asif Zardari, left, and son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is attempting to fill her political shoes) want a United Nations led investigation into her murder. Musharraf, however, has refused, and also said she bore partial responsibility for her own death. "She was warned, but she decided differently," he said.
On January 10, Pakistan was rocked by a major suicide bombing in Lahore. Musharraf blames al-Qaida for the recent wave of suicide attacks. "We have to carry on fighting terrorism," Musharraf told SPIEGEL.
When Musharraf instated emergency law on November 7, 2007, thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets in protest. When asked why he took the dramatic step, he said: "The unlimited utilization of the military was an issue, the media issue was critical, also the judiciary."
The West has long feared that terrorists might get their hands on the highly volatile country's nuclear arsenal. But Musharraf seeks to assuage such concerns. "Everything is accounted for," he said. "Terrorists could not even take out a bolt from a rifle."
Not all of the news has been bad since Musharraf took power. Economic growth in recent years in Pakistan has average seven percent. "My greatest achievement has been the economic revival of Pakistan," Musharraf said. "When I took power, we were in danger of going bankrupt and becoming a failed state."
