Armitage Refutes Musharraf's Claim

(CBS/AP)  Former U.S. diplomat Richard Armitage said Friday that an official document detailing his conversation with President Pervez Musharraf's intelligence chief confirms he did not threaten that Pakistan would be bombed back into the Stone Age should the Pakistani leader refuse to join the U.S. fight against al Qaeda.

In a radio interview, Armitage, who was then deputy secretary of state, also said Musharraf had fired the intelligence director shortly after he had relayed the alleged U.S. threat to the Pakistani president.

Musharraf said in an that Armitage told a Pakistani official the United States would attack Pakistan if it didn't back the war on terror.

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

Armitage has disputed the language attributed to him but did not deny the message was a strong one.

"It did not happen. I was not authorized to say something like that. I did not say it," Armitage said Friday in an Associated Press Radio interview.

Armitage — who was former Secretary of State Colin Powell's right-hand man at the time — said he called the State Department Friday morning to double-check his memory and had an employee read him the cable he had sent after his meeting with the Pakistani intelligence chief, whom Armitage identified as Gen. M.

"I reviewed the cable, or had it read to me this morning from the State Department, and there was in no way that threat," Armitage said.

The exchange occurred during the lead-up to the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan to flush al Qaeda fighters out of their bases and to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and his chief lieutenants. Bin Laden and al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, remain at large.

"I told him in a very straightforward way this was a black-and-white issue for Americans. You were either for us or against us.

"He started to tell me about Pakistan's history. ... I said, 'You should communicate with your president and see if you are willing to cooperate with us.'"

He said he told Gen. M that if the answer was yes, they could meet the next day and Armitage would tell him the U.S. requirements. "They will be onerous," he said he told the Pakistani.

"The general came back the next day and said they were willing to go along with us. And I presented to him a list of items Secretary Powell and I had jotted down the night before."

He said several State Department personnel were in the room and heard the exchange, and "no one remembers a military threat. And the cable does not reflect that."

"I would note that Gen. M was fired not long after that by President Musharraf," Armitage added.

Armitage said he met with Musharraf on Thursday. He did not discuss their conversation.

Julie Reside, a State Department spokeswoman, said she knew no specifics of the Armitage documents, but department cables generally reflect conversations precisely.

Earlier Friday, President Bush said he was "taken aback" by Musharraf's comments. At a joint White House news conference, Mr. Bush praised Musharraf for being one of the first foreign leaders to come out after the Sept. 11, 2001.

Musharraf wouldn't comment on his statement, saying he has a book coming out and that he's promised the publisher he wouldn't talk about it.

Mr. Bush accepted that answer and told reporters to "buy the book," CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports. Musharraf's book will be published by Simon & Schuster, which is part of CBS Corp.

As for Musharraf, no matter how his relationship with the United States was started, a senior White House official said President Bush trusts him fully as a partner in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, reports CBS News White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.

[krazymo1-2009]

I believe Musharaf on this one. Armitage most likely used that language because at the time I remember Bush himself using that sort of language in some of his 'your with us or against us' speeches. That was an emotional time and I'm betting Armitage said it at the time and not surprised he denied after the fact. Musharaf is a skilled politician and did what he had to do at the time, for the sake of his country.

[alphaa10-2009]

SharnCedar said, "If we torture Armitage, he will confess to it, I ken."

I love your sense of humor. Actually, though, Armitage will break only when subjected to reruns of the ABC feature, "The Path to 911", with guest appearances by Rush Limbaugh as Osama bin Laden.

However, torture may not be the answer, here, either. As every Pentagon torture expert already knows, Armitage will say only what he senses you want him to say-- anything at all-- just stop the video, Please. Pleeeeeeeasse!

[alphaa10-2009]

So, Armitage denies he used the phrase attributed to him five years ago? Armitage may not be the smoothest envoy and some have accused him of not being a diplomat at all, but he is not an utter fool. What defense would you expect of one pinioned by collateral damage from his "rough and tumble" style of diplomacy? Almost everyone who knows Armitage suspects he said the phrase at issue, or a close equivalent. Like so many other events in the Bush regime, this need not have happened.

Musharaff, for his part, shows a rare finesse with handling a delicate and embarrassing situation, claiming his publisher has forbidden him to talk about the incident, recounted in his forthcoming book. Even Bush showed a good backhand, amiably nodding through the whole encounter with US and Pakistani press, refusing to take sides. When Musharaff looks him in the eye, Bush said, and assures him of certain things, he has little choice but to take his word. Indeed.

[alphaa10-2009]

Gordonshiloh asked, "What the heck is this code %2019s???????????????? and &u201c And&201d????????????????????? Are you brain damaged?????"

If he were, why ask him? Doesn't that indicate something about your own logic and/or perception?

The codes you refer to come from aliens trying to exploit your nervous instability. They clearly have succeeded, and apparently more than once.

Actually, the codes are normally invisible (you must believe me), but parts of them are now left visible because CBS has structured this blog NOT to allow HTML attributes with posts. Bold text, for example, serves a good purpose when used sparingly, but some posters have used bold for every word they post. And other posters forget proper HTML bold syntax, and leave the whole page of posts in bold. You see the problem.

In any case, it is not the fault of the person you addressed.

[ranaasim1]

well
i guees we need to redefine the definition of terrorism
who is terrorist and who are the victims of terrorism
asim brooklyn

[tomflint69]

lsba, We are here to share our thoughts about the news regarding threats, Armitage might posed to Pakistan.
Suppose Pakistanis offered resistance then I am sure that they would had killed at least a 1000 or more U.S troops since Pakistan's army greater in number, strength and equipment as compared to Afghans/Talibans at that time. At least they might had thrown their all nuclear bombs on our bases and on India.
Then so called Americans like you would be on the top of the list of those who would condemned their actions and cried that why did Pakistan not join us!
We should remain calm and really, Pakistan has played an important role for us. Pakistan has lost its 600 troops and it has 80,000 army men deployed at the Afghan Pakistan border.
It seems to me that you dont bother to know about any current/past global issues. You just know how to type rubbish text and press the smart "Publish" button of forum.
If you will pay the expenses of all of Pakistan's army troops, lets ask Mr. Bush to send U.S army men there and the expenses will be handled by lsba. There would be no more dummies serving us!

[sharncedar]

If we torture Armitage, he will confess to it, I ken.

[lsba]

On the %u201Cback to the stone age%u201D issue.

Your President Musharraf is a poodle of Bush. What happened to Pakistani Pride? This is unbelievable. Musharraf made Pakistanis look like dummies. All Pakistanis should be ashamed. Dont you have the balls and the pride? US will be scared to touch Pakistan because of the Iraq disaster. Poor Pakistan and Pakistani people. I am so sorry for you.

A foreign force threatened your country and people and all he did was "Yes Sir!! Whatever you want."

[kricknit]

Actually it was my understanding that the actual threat was to the Taliban in Afganistan in relation to the Unocal pipeline. The Taliban was resisting efforts or asking to much money to run the pipeline through Afganistan. The threat to the Taliban was rivers of gold, or blankets of bombs. Approximatly one month later the Twin Towers were attacked. Speculation was it was in response to the threat of bombing. This story must have been about to break, thus the need for the Pakastan revelation. Of couse this will end up refuted by the Pakastan Gov, and in the end the story will drop. It will however save the US administration from having to explain on its own. The crimes of the Taliban were hanus, I only wish that our own governments hands were as clean as they claim they are, but the reality of our nations past provides indications that are not. Course those issues were fixed, and have no relation to the current administration.

[tomflint69]

I agree with grazinggoat. I respect goat creature because I am a Capricorn :-)