Arse Saving

Musharraf tight-lipped over US threat claims

Pakistan's president today said a book deal prevented him from commenting on claims he made that the United States government threatened to bomb his country "back to the stone age" unless it joined the fight against Al-Qaida.

General Pervez Musharraf had told CBS television that Richard Armitage, assistant secretary of state, made the threat, "Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the stone age", in conversations with Pakistan's intelligence director after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

But at a joint press conference with the US President, George Bush, at the White House today, the Pakistani leader ignored the issue - to the laughter of the press corps - by saying a book deal prevented him from speaking on certain matters.

"I am launching my book on the 25th and I am honour bound to Simon and Schuster not to comment on the book before that date", he said.

Its pretty ironic that the Bush Junta reguards Pakistan as an 'ally' on the 'war on terror' when the country is run by a military dictator and is seriously unstable in the border regions with Afghanistant, yet at the same time the Bush Junta talks about 'spreading and supporting democracy'. Pakistan is probaly also one of the main source of support for the Taliban and Al Qaeada. By playing the 'loyal ally', Musharraf is covering his arse, because otherwise his country would be invaded by the USA.