U.S. threatened to bomb Pakistan after 9/11: Musharraf

Yahoo ^

[Sub-Driver]

U.S. threatened to bomb Pakistan after 9/11: Musharraf

6 minutes ago

President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan said that after the September 11 attacks the United States threatened to bomb his country if it did not cooperate with America's war campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Musharraf, in an interview with CBS news magazine show "60 Minutes" that will air Sunday, said the threat came from Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage and was given to Musharraf's intelligence director.

"The intelligence director told me that (Armitage) said, 'Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age,"' Musharraf said.

"I think it was a very rude remark."

The Pakistani leader, whose remarks were distributed to the media by CBS, said he reacted to the threat in a responsible way.

"One has to think and take actions in the interest of the nation, and that's what I did," Musharraf said about the cooperation extended by Pakistan.

[Wuli]

And why would anyone think the threat was so strange?

If we were going to go after the Taliban and Al Queda and remove them from Afghanistan, and if Pakistan was not going to be "with us" in that enterprise, then Pakistan would have been an unobstructed sanctuary for the Taliban and Al Queda without active opposition from Pakistan. What else did Pakistan have a right to expect we would do, let them protect the Taliban and Al Queda sanctuaries in Pakistan?

As Bush said, you're either with us or against us. Either Pakistan wanted to protect and support the Taliban-Al Queda enterprise, or it didn't.

[Howlin]

said the threat came from Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage

S W E E T.

[Mr. Lucky]

Even a blind pig finds an occasional acorn.

[wastedyears]

We shoulda done it anyway.

[The South Texan]

"Don't worry, Pakistan's time will come. Bet on it."

As it should. I think the brain washing the Mullahs are doing in that country to the young children make what they are doing in other Muslim countries look like child's play. It a cauldron of Islamic Fascism.

[DejaJude]

How I wish this were true.

[yobid]

"No, he just called him a d*ck"

[A CA Guy]

Considering they just released thousands of terrorists out of prisons to slide back into Iraq and Afghanistan, I think a bomb would not have been that bad an idea to keep them straight.

[Peach]

I've been only able to keep up with today's happenings in a very small way but it sounds like the Democrat's chances of gaining any seats in November are getting slimmer by the moment.

We're headed out of town tomorrow and will be back in early October; reason given here:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1705462/posts?page=6#6

[Former Proud Canadian]

Yes, it is a cauldron. And the madrasses are recruiting grounds for AQ and all the other terrorists. What is being done about that?

Just wondering, if a country abdicates control of part of its territory, as Pakistan has done with the border regions, what are other countries, that are being threatened by groups in said region, to do?

[Two-Bits]

How can you send a country back to the Stone Age when it's never left?

Funny, I was thinking the same thing.

[Paradox]

I'm sorry, doesn't Pakistan have the bomb? A naked threat like this, I have doubts that it was like this, I'll bet it was more like "We are going to destroy the Taliban, and if you get in our way, and the Taliban are given safe haven in Pakistan, we will bomb Pakistan back to the stone age".

[Ouderkirk]

Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age...Wouldn'y that onle be back a day or two for them?

[sanchmo]

interesting Mushie would say this right now... instead of what he's been saying for 5 years: "we need to stand with our very good friends the Americans against those dangerous Talibanis"

It seems his ambitions of being the new Ataturk are going up in smoke. I hope this means we now have a solid plan for securing those Muslim Nukes he's got.

[RightWhale]

A large part of the world was > this < close on 911. Pakistan should not feel special.

[AmericaUnited]

I'm sorry, doesn't Pakistan have the bomb?

I always believed that we told him we knew where all of his nukes were located and would take them all out, as well as lots of other stuff. I remembered Musharraf came out of the meeting white as a ghost.

[Criminal Number 18F]

"The intelligence director told me that (Armitage) said, 'Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age,"' Musharraf said.

Wouldn't that be "up to the Stone Age?"

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[SlowBoat407]

He says it like it was a bad thing. That explains the nature of their cooperation - just enough, and only when pressed. I hope we're still holding it over their heads. They saw what happened to their neighbors.

[Paradox]

remembered Musharraf came out of the meeting white as a ghost.

Now that you mention it, I recall that as well. I remember, though, how calm he seemed in his speech to his nation, about his decision. I am just surprised he is admiting this today, makes him look like a wuss to the Muslims.

[Defiant]

I believe it. Musharef looked like a scared rabbit after 9-11. He did whatever we said, even though his people were against it. I thought at the time we had issued threats, though I think they were probably less direct. I wouldn't be surprised if we mentioned India as well--we'd take India's side and let them defeat Pak. in a regional war, and that would solve our Pakistan problem. Or they can cooperate.

Pakistan has 160 million people if I recall correctly. That is a heckuva task to take on, but with 1.1 billion people helping out, it becomes a lot easier.