Baptism of fire

PRESIDENT Asif Zardari had his baptism of fire during his maiden visit to the US as head of state. Besides addressing the UN General Assembly, he had the occasion to interact with government heads from a number of countries. What must have tested his mettle most were meetings with President Bush and senior members of his Administration. Being in the US on the occasion of the first presidential debate, and having talked to both vice-presidential candidates, he must have had an inkling of what lies ahead after either of the two presidential hopefuls assumes office on January 20. Mr Zardari's weakness lay in two things. First, he was making the visit when the country faced unprecedented economic and social challenges. Second, being an elected president, he was not free to make the sort of promises his predecessor did.