High-stakes presidential tradecraft has a way of repeating itself. When Donald Trump secretly switched planes while departing Turkey last month, he unwittingly revived a long-forgotten playbook from the Clinton era.
Why It Matters
Twenty-six years earlier, in March 2000, Bill Clinton pulled the fairly same bait-and-switch in Pakistan. The then-US President touched down in Islamabad in a plain, unbranded executive jet, while a fully badged decoy landed first to draw potential fire. Clinton met Pakistan’s military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, during the visit. Their discussions covered Kashmir, Pakistan’s nuclear programme and terrorism.
