ISLAMABAD, Oct 15: President Pervez Musharraf’s spokesman on Monday expressed “shock” and “utter disbelief” at remarks attributed to Pakistani President by the USA Today and CBS radio, quoting him as having said that he planned to tell US Secretary of State Colin Powell that US forces should first “take out” Mullah Omar rather than Osama bin Ladin if they wanted to eliminate terrorism in Afghanistan.
Talking to Dawn Maj General Rashid Qureshi, Press Secretary to President and Director General of ISPR, said that no interview was granted to USA Today and CBS radio.
He said that he had never heard of any interview in which no audio or video tapes were made. He said that in fact, no such interview was requested by the news establishments concerned nor was one granted.
The President’s spokesman said that after Sept 11, the President had been interviewed only by two international TV networks, CNN and BBC, and he held a press conference. “He (President) has not granted any other interview since then,” he stated emphatically.
Masood Haider adds from New York: The USA Today on Monday said that its correspondent in Islamabad along with CBS radio reporter interviewed President Pervez Musharraf on Friday.
The World News editor of USA, Elisa Tensley, told Dawn that “we stand by our story” when told that in Islamabad President Musharraf’s spokesman denied that such an interview had taken place.
Ms Tensley said emphatically: “The interview took place on Friday and we stand by our story.”
Mike Donahue of CBS Radio network also told Dawn that their correspondent did interview Gen Pervez Musharraf on Friday evening along with USA Today correspondent. “It was an informal interview and it lasted for over one hour,” he said, adding: “We stand by our report.”
However, he said that since the interview was in an informal setting no audio or video tapes were made.
Musharraf was quoted as having said that Pakistan “does not know Osama bin Laden’s exact location in Afghanistan but that its intelligence services are working diligently to find him.”
He is reported to have said, “Pakistani officials are working with local Pashtun tribal chiefs and moderate factions of the Taliban, with which Pakistan maintains diplomatic relations, to find (Osama) bin Laden.”
Pakistani officials have said that some members of the Taliban want to hand over Osama...and improve relations with the West.
“Either the Taliban will collapse or there will be another 10-year guerrilla war,” Musharraf is reported to have told USA Today. “We will try our level best to make sure a guerrilla war doesn’t happen.”
Musharraf was quoted to have clarified comments he made two weeks ago that the US-led assault on Afghanistan could be over in “a day or two.” His remarks appeared to contradict those of President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who have tried to prepare Americans for the possibility of months of military action against Osama and the Taliban. Air strikes began last Sunday.
“It could be over in one day if you take out Mullah Omar and his leadership,” Musharraf said. “Once you’ve done that, the campaign is over. That is what I meant to say.”
Musharraf was reported to have said that Pakistan’s 145 million people were solidly behind him. He derided Muslim militants and clerics who have called for a jihad against his government and the United States.
“The people love me. I’m a popular leader wherever I go,” he said. “Those who are protesting against me are idiots. They don’t know anything.”
In Jacobabad on Sunday, police fired on thousands of stone-throwing demonstrators who had evaded a huge security cordon thrown around the city. One person was killed and 12 were injured.
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