Senators Weigh U.S. Policy in South Asia after Visit

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• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  The two members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have been on the road for a week, committee Chairman Joseph Biden, Democrat from Delaware, and his fellow committee member, Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel. Also on the trip, John Kerry of Massachusetts.

  First stop, Pakistan, to observe the elections. Second stop, India. Then, Afghanistan. And finally, on to Turkey. They returned to the United States this weekend and they join us now.

  Gentlemen, it's good to see you both. You had an emergency landing high in the mountains of Afghanistan. We're glad you made it out safely.

  SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), Delaware: Oh, so are we, Judy. Actually, it wasn't quite as dramatic as some were making it out to be.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Well, Senator Biden, let's start with you and with Pakistan. You said yesterday that you think President Musharraf should find a dignified way to step down.

  A spokesman in his office today, though, said that he's not listening or doesn't need to respond to any senator from the United States. Is there some contradiction?

• SEN. JOE BIDEN:

  There is a contradiction. They didn't say that. What we all three have been saying is that if, in fact, he's treated with some respect by the parties that are forming the government, that I believe that he will, in fact, step back from the exercise of the kind of power he's tried to exercise.

  He made it pretty clear to us that he understood that his role as president was more constrained than the role of the prime minister.

  And the point I've been making — and all of us, actually, have been making — is that this is a transitional moment. The parties should look forward, not backward.

  I spoke against the idea of impeaching him. And the point was I think that he will step back from the kind of exercise power that he has attempted to do. He made it clear to us he thought the parliament should make the decisions now that it was elected.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  So, Senator Hagel, you said yesterday you think he will find a graceful way out. Help us understand where the miscommunication is here.

  SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), Nebraska: Well, Judy, that's a big leap from calling for him to step down.

  My goodness, what I said yesterday — go back and check the record on CNN — is that, first, the leaders who will form a new government, a coalition government, will need to work this through. Certainly, it's up to them, the Pakistani people, represented by their leaders.

  As to Musharraf, when we met with him, we met with him the morning after the election. He had accepted those results. I thought he was very confident; I thought he was very comfortable.

  And I thought that he was willing to, at least what I heard from him, to listen to all of the offers that will be laid on the table as to his future. But I didn't ever call for him to resign.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  No, that's not what I said. I was quoting you as saying you thought he would take the graceful way out.

• SEN. CHUCK HAGEL:

  Well, I think that's right, over a course of time, if the coalition parties that will be forming that government, if they, in fact, allow him a way to do that, where, in fact, he can leave on his own terms with some dignity.

  And I've been very clear and forthcoming, Judy, in recognizing the kind of service, the important service he has given to his country and to the world and the United States. He has been an important ally for us.

  So I in no way want the record to show anything but what I've said about how important Musharraf's been, and he deserves that kind of respect, because he — let's not forget here. After September 11, 2001, Musharraf became a very important ally to us and at his political risk, his own risk here.

  So we have differences with him. We've had differences with him, of course. But that in no way negates what he's done for his country and for us.