The Telegraph, U.K., has a curious story about the U.S reaction to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf‘s recent moves to expel or arrest political opponents:

The United States demanded yesterday that President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan release hundreds of political opponents as tension mounted ahead of his planned re-election attempt.

Pakistani police detained dozens of opposition activists to stop them protesting outside the Supreme Court as it heard challenges to Gen Musharraf’s eligibility.

The US Embassy in Islamabad said the crackdown was “extremely disturbing” and urged the immediate release of several opposition leaders who were arrested on Saturday night.

“We wish to express our serious concern about these developments. These detainees should be released as soon as possible,” it said in a statement.

That’s the quickest climbdown from tough language I have ever seen. In four quick sentences they went from “demanded” to “urged” to expressing “serious concern”.

Musharraf, meanwhile, knows precisely how seriously to take what The Telegraph is pleased to call our “strongly worded criticism”:

Last week the election commission, which was appointed by Gen Musharraf, announced that the constitutional rules governing the eligibility of presidential candidates had been suspended.

That probably has nothing to do with the fact that Musharraf’s eligibility to “run” for president has been challenged in multiple petitions before the Supreme Court.

Incidentally, I have read over the first sentence in the first quote several times. I cannot for the life of me figure out why they appended the word “attempt” to that sentence. It should simply read: “… ahead of his planned re-election.” Or maybe “scheduled” instead of “planned”?

Do stand by for the official U.S. comment after the election results are announced. (I imagine those comments are already written, approved and ready to roll.)