There was nothing coincidental about Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak bumping into each other in a Paris hotel. The United States - in the form of Senator Joseph Lieberman - is pushing Pakistan to upgrade its relationship with Israel. First, Musharraf has to convince Barak that Islamabad does not threaten Israel's security directly, or in league with a third country such as Iran. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jan 30, '08)