Former President Pervez Musharraf: ‘You Want To Alienate Pakistan, You Will Be A Loser’

The former president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, told ABC News’ Chris Cuomo that elements of Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence Agencies and military may have helped protect Osama bin Laden, but Musharraf insisted the U.S. was wrong to stage its assault on the bin Laden compound without Pakistan’s consent. “No government can accept a violation of their sovereignty,” Musharraf said.

In the interview Musharraf called bin Laden’s six-year residence in Abbottabad a “big blunder” on the part of Pakistani intelligence. But he also warned the United States that if it continues to alienate Pakistan as they did in the bin Laden raid, the U.S. will be the “loser.”

“You want to alienate Pakistan, you will be a loser,” he said in the interview with Cuomo.

Musharraf says U.S. forces risked an armed confrontation with Pakistan’s military during the daring raid–a risk President Obama prepared for by enhancing the size of the assault team. Musharraf said such decisions have put the long American-Pakistani relationship at risk. “What kind of friend is that, that you haven’t taken us into confidence?” he said. “You can’t clap with one hand. If you don’t trust Pakistan, how can Pakistan trust you?”

Watch it here, from ABC News:

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