U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte touched down hours later and spoke by phone with opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, the highest-level U.S. contact with the former prime minister since [Pervez Musharraf] imposed a state of emergency Nov. 3.

[Sean McCormack] said he did not expect Negroponte to meet Bhutto in person, saying "it's just a little bit easier to have a phone call, you don't have a media circus outside and you can actually have probably more relaxed conversation."

Negroponte, who is expected to speak to Musharraf today, said the democratic process in Pakistan had been "derailed."