US threatened to bomb Pakistan 'back to stone age' after 9/11: Musharraf

[Janbaz]

so it means F-16 deal down the drain. Damn

 

[Kaiser]

US threat to hit Pakistan post 9/11 was news to me, Bush insists

From Tim Reid in Washington
PRESIDENT BUSH said yesterday that he was “taken aback” by a claim from President Musharraf of Pakistan that the US had threatened to bomb his country if it did not co-operate with America after the September 11 attacks.
Mr Bush, standing next to President Musharraf at a White House news conference, was asked about the President’s allegation on Wednesday that his country was told that it would be bombed “into the Stone Age” if it refused to join the fight against the Taleban and al-Qaeda.
NI_MPU('middle');“The first I heard of this was when I read it in the newspaper today,” Mr Bush said. “I guess I was taken aback by the harshness of the words.”
President Musharraf, asked to explain his comments, said that he could not comment before the publication of his memoir, In the Line of Fire, which will be serialised in The Times from Monday.
In an interview with the CBS programme 60 Minutes, President Musharraf said that the threat was made by Richard Armitage, then the Deputy Secretary of State, in the days after the attacks, to the Pakistani intelligence director.
Mr Armitage, now retired from government, denied the allegation yesterday , but conceded that he had had “strong” words with General Mahmoud Ahmad, the former intelligence director, during a meeting in Washington soon after the attacks.
“I’ve never made a threat in my life that I couldn’t back up, and since I wasn’t authorised to say such a thing, hence I couldn’t back up that threat, I didn’t say it,” Mr Armitage told CNN. “Never did I threaten to use military force.”
Mr Armitage said that he told General Ahmad that “for Americans the issue was black and white — that you are either with us or against us. He was looking for a friendly conversation with a friend of Pakistan and he got a very straightforward conversation.”
Tony Snow, Mr Bush’s spokesman, ascribed President Musharraf’s allegation to a possible misunderstanding. He acknowledged that Pakistan was presented with a stark choice after the attacks.
Mr Bush and President Musharraf were at pains yesterday to ease any tensions caused by the Pakistani leader’s comments. Mr Bush added that President Musharraf had been one of the first leaders to “step up” and join the US in its fight against terrorism.
“I admire your leadership. I admire your courage,” Mr Bush told him.
The two were asked about comments made by Mr Bush this week that he would not hesitate to authorise an immediate US military strike inside Pakistan against Osama bin Laden.
President Musharraf told CBS: “We wouldn’t like to allow that. We would like to do that ourselves.”
Yesterday President Musharraf said that he was not worried about “semantics”, adding: “We are in the hunt together. Let’s not get involved in how it ought to be done, by whom it ought to be done.”
President Musharraf also sought to ease concerns over a recent peace treaty that Islamabad has struck with tribes on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, amid concerns in Washington that Pakistan is not doing enough to crack down on Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters.
“This treaty is not a deal with the Taleban. It is actually to fight the Taleban,” he said. “This deal is with the tribal elders.” He said that they were now honour-bound to take on Taleban and al-Qaeda militants in the border region. Mr Bush will have a three-way meeting with President Musharraf and the President Karzai of Afghanistan at the White House on Tuesday. The dominant issue will be the Taleban’s resurgence in southern Afghanistan.



http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2371128,00.html

 

[Skeptic786]

US threat to hit Pakistan post 9/11 was news to me, Bush insists

From Tim Reid in Washington
PRESIDENT BUSH said yesterday that he was “taken aback” by a claim from President Musharraf of Pakistan that the US had threatened to bomb his country if it did not co-operate with America after the September 11 attacks.
Mr Bush, standing next to President Musharraf at a White House news conference, was asked about the President’s allegation on Wednesday that his country was told that it would be bombed “into the Stone Age” if it refused to join the fight against the Taleban and al-Qaeda.
NI_MPU('middle');“The first I heard of this was when I read it in the newspaper today,” Mr Bush said. “I guess I was taken aback by the harshness of the words.”
President Musharraf, asked to explain his comments, said that he could not comment before the publication of his memoir, In the Line of Fire, which will be serialised in The Times from Monday.
In an interview with the CBS programme 60 Minutes, President Musharraf said that the threat was made by Richard Armitage, then the Deputy Secretary of State, in the days after the attacks, to the Pakistani intelligence director.
Mr Armitage, now retired from government, denied the allegation yesterday , but conceded that he had had “strong” words with General Mahmoud Ahmad, the former intelligence director, during a meeting in Washington soon after the attacks.
“I’ve never made a threat in my life that I couldn’t back up, and since I wasn’t authorised to say such a thing, hence I couldn’t back up that threat, I didn’t say it,” Mr Armitage told CNN. “Never did I threaten to use military force.”
Mr Armitage said that he told General Ahmad that “for Americans the issue was black and white — that you are either with us or against us. He was looking for a friendly conversation with a friend of Pakistan and he got a very straightforward conversation.”
Tony Snow, Mr Bush’s spokesman, ascribed President Musharraf’s allegation to a possible misunderstanding. He acknowledged that Pakistan was presented with a stark choice after the attacks.
Mr Bush and President Musharraf were at pains yesterday to ease any tensions caused by the Pakistani leader’s comments. Mr Bush added that President Musharraf had been one of the first leaders to “step up” and join the US in its fight against terrorism.
“I admire your leadership. I admire your courage,” Mr Bush told him.
The two were asked about comments made by Mr Bush this week that he would not hesitate to authorise an immediate US military strike inside Pakistan against Osama bin Laden.
President Musharraf told CBS: “We wouldn’t like to allow that. We would like to do that ourselves.”
Yesterday President Musharraf said that he was not worried about “semantics”, adding: “We are in the hunt together. Let’s not get involved in how it ought to be done, by whom it ought to be done.”
President Musharraf also sought to ease concerns over a recent peace treaty that Islamabad has struck with tribes on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, amid concerns in Washington that Pakistan is not doing enough to crack down on Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters.
“This treaty is not a deal with the Taleban. It is actually to fight the Taleban,” he said. “This deal is with the tribal elders.” He said that they were now honour-bound to take on Taleban and al-Qaeda militants in the border region. Mr Bush will have a three-way meeting with President Musharraf and the President Karzai of Afghanistan at the White House on Tuesday. The dominant issue will be the Taleban’s resurgence in southern Afghanistan.



http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2371128,00.html

i wonder what else people keep from Bush........i wonder also whether he has been told that the real person running affairs since bush won elections in 2000 is not him but Cheney..........i bet if cheney was asked he would have given a different answer to the one bush gives above.

 

[Awesome]

The US media is chewing Bush for this

I heard this guy on CNN say "I don't know what's more desturbing, that we can use such language against a sovereign nation or that Bush just found out".

My take: Bush threw Musharraf in an awkward spot by trying to send similar message that he can do whatever around the world by saying he'd send thousands of troops across the Pak border. Musharraf used politick to the extreme and declared this tid bit embarassing Bush. Now that when Bush wants to move in forces forcibly, Mush can say NO and Bush can't dare repeat his mantra "I'd send you guys to the stone age", coz then he'd look like a jackass to put it simply.

You shoulda seen their joint press conference today.

This reporter asks Bush, "So what are going to be your strategies to nab Bin Laden now?"

Bush: We uhh well ummm we'd use our intelligence, our networks ummm and hunt.... --

Mush: Can I cut in President Bush?

Bush: Sure go ahead

Mush: We can't disclose each and everything especially tactics. We are looking for him and we'll get him. Thats all you need to know.

And that was that. It was so interesting. Bush was replying with jokes and doing some funnies and Mush totally looked like a coupla degrees smarter than that guy.

And Mush had jokes today too. Later in DC while speaking at the GW Uni, he was crackin jokes, Sehba Musharraf was crackin jokes. The 1st couple of Pakistan have totally stolen the diplomatic scene around here. Lol he put one more on Bush which went unnoticed... At George Washington Uni he starts off, "I'm refraining from calling George Washington Uni as GW since according to my training and understanding, GW means Guerilla Warfare".

 

[sigatoka]

And that was that. It was so interesting. Bush was replying with jokes and doing some funnies and Mush totally looked like a coupla degrees smarter than that guy.

I can never agree that Bush is stupid, to me he is an enigma greater than even Mr. Mush. That a person is not great in stringing together words doesnt mean he is stupid. The only thing foreign policy wise that Mr. bush did differently from what any other President would have done was to invade Iraq. It was a huge risk and it went sour, that doenst mean that the risk wasnt worth taking from the U.S.'s point of view. That also doesnt mean that I agreed with what Mr. Bush did, just that i understood why he did it.

 

[Awesome]

I'm not saying he's a stupid man as you might have taken it... Now how should I put it... Let's say he's the American version of Nawaz Sharif.

 

[Skeptic786]

The US media is chewing Bush for this

I heard this guy on CNN say "I don't know what's more desturbing, that we can use such language against a sovereign nation or that Bush just found out".

My take: Bush threw Musharraf in an awkward spot by trying to send similar message that he can do whatever around the world by saying he'd send thousands of troops across the Pak border. Musharraf used politick to the extreme and declared this tid bit embarassing Bush. Now that when Bush wants to move in forces forcibly, Mush can say NO and Bush can't dare repeat his mantra "I'd send you guys to the stone age", coz then he'd look like a jackass to put it simply.

You shoulda seen their joint press conference today.

This reporter asks Bush, "So what are going to be your strategies to nab Bin Laden now?"

Bush: We uhh well ummm we'd use our intelligence, our networks ummm and hunt.... --

Mush: Can I cut in President Bush?

Bush: Sure go ahead

Mush: We can't disclose each and everything especially tactics. We are looking for him and we'll get him. Thats all you need to know.

And that was that. It was so interesting. Bush was replying with jokes and doing some funnies and Mush totally looked like a coupla degrees smarter than that guy.

And Mush had jokes today too. Later in DC while speaking at the GW Uni, he was crackin jokes, Sehba Musharraf was crackin jokes. The 1st couple of Pakistan have totally stolen the diplomatic scene around here. Lol he put one more on Bush which went unnoticed... At George Washington Uni he starts off, "I'm refraining from calling George Washington Uni as GW since according to my training and understanding, GW means Guerilla Warfare".

first of all who was covering GW uni engagement of mush...i mean any international channels? would have liked to seen it.

Yes i did see their joint press conference and mushy did carry him self well with alot of dignity.

as far as your saying

Musharraf used politick to the extreme and declared this tid bit embarassing Bush. Now that when Bush wants to move in forces forcibly, Mush can say NO and Bush can't dare repeat his mantra "I'd send you guys to the stone age", coz then he'd look like a jackass to put it simply.

thanks for giving this perspective. It is a brilliant move if mushy did so as you suggested.

I was thinking he did so as to set the record straight and give a hint to the ignorant american populace that their government has two faces...the nicey nicey face they show to them and pretend to them they use against other countries.....and the evil one which everyone but the american public is exposed to all the time...and specially to those whom america thinks is in their way. Afterall american public has been brainwashed in the last 5 years that people in the muslim world hate them because of their freedoms and way of life...rather the evil behaviour american government is subjecting them too.

 

[Awesome]

yeah I've subscribed to C-Span off the internet... Surprisingly nothing's in the papers about GW U.

Even Sehba Musharraf spoke. Infact she started. She looked so much older.

Lol in the middle Musharraf pauses while trying to remember some computer device (which I can't recall) and he turns to Sehba and is like "Woh usko kya kehte hain???"

Then she prompts him.

edit oh here it is about GW Uni.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-09-22-voa48.cfm

 

[Skeptic786]

yeah I've subscribed to C-Span off the internet... Surprisingly nothing's in the papers about GW U.

Even Sehba Musharraf spoke. Infact she started. She looked so much older.

Lol in the middle Musharraf pauses while trying to remember some computer device (which I can't recall) and he turns to Sehba and is like "Woh usko kya kehte hain???"

Then she prompts him.

edit oh here it is about GW Uni.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-09-22-voa48.cfm

sehba may look older now....but in her younger days she was very beautiful....when mushy was asked what he liked about her.....his answer was that she was very beautiful....and then hurriedly adding....and she is beautiful still. Khabrain published their picture ( mushy n sehba younger days ) having seen it i donot disagree with mushy.

 

[Awesome]

please post it here sometime

 

[Skeptic786]

if you can read urdu...the interview with mushy and family is there too....remember in one of the threads i said mushy cried like a baby on west pakistan front...well i was not making it up.....mushy said it himself....its there if you can read urdu. the whole page of Khabrain with the pics of mushy and family and their interview is scanned:


http://www.millat.com/interview/president/index.htm


btw if anyone of you cannot read urdu.......you can guess the mushy and sehba ....the other young guy is mushy's son.....and the younger woman is mushy's daughter ( there is pic of interviewer who is woman as well..she is the one wearing blue--just so you not take her as his daughter)....and mushy with the older lady...that is him with his mother.

 

[Awesome]

I can read it, but damn everything's so small.

I see what u mean about the first lady's youth.

 

[Bull]

When i first saw the reports on BBC i thought pakistanis would be considering it as a shame that Mushraff had to do this under total media glare and that too in US.

Did anyone watch the "60 mins"..was Mushraff asked why he joined WOT afterall...was it becoz of the threat??

What ever the reason its been better for pakistan..after all look at what Iraq is now.

 

[Skeptic786]

I can read it, but damn everything's so small.

I see what u mean about the first lady's youth.

yes the small lettering was a real pain....but bear with it and you'll come to mushy's answer as to what he found particularly appealing in his partner....mushy 's answer....she was very beautiful...is still beautiful.

anyway sehba answer i think about mushy was that it was his sense of humor which was appealing to her.

 

[Skeptic786]

When i first saw the reports on BBC i thought pakistanis would be considering it as a shame that Mushraff had to do this under total media glare and that too in US.

Did anyone watch the "60 mins"..was Mushraff asked why he joined WOT afterall...was it becoz of the threat??

What ever the reason its been better for pakistan..after all look at what Iraq is now.

i and many many pakistanis who have followed almost every single event since 911 have known for a very long time now that threats were given and under threat mushy had to do what he did. As to the manner of bringing this fact on record by mushy, i agree with asim aquil words in one of the posts above:


Musharraf used politick to the extreme and declared this tid bit embarassing Bush. Now that when Bush wants to move in forces forcibly, Mush can say NO and Bush can't dare repeat his mantra "I'd send you guys to the stone age", coz then he'd look like a jackass to put it simply.


unfortunately was not able to see the 60 minutes since it is not available where i live....but hopefully we will see it once someone puts it on the net.

I have seen far more detailed version of reconstruction of events following 911 which was shown on BBC in 2002/2003 and had all the major decision makers....simple deduction from that program leaves no doubt mushy acted under duress.