We’re not really sure about that. He took it a second time in private with no witnesses.
Actually, Muslims are encouraged to swear sacred oaths and then break them. Mohammed himself set the example, during the Hejirah. He swore a solemn treaty with the Jews of Medina, which he broke after it was no longer needed, and then he swore a solemn treaty with his enemies in Mecca and broke that, too, when it was no longer needed.
The President of Pakistan retold the story in his speech to the people when he signed the treaty with George Bush after 9/11. My take on what he said is that he was assuring them that it was necessary to make the deal with a stronger power, but that he would break his word like a good Muslim when the right time came.
The NY Times omitted that last five minutes of his speech from their transcript the next day, evidently thinking it was not important.
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