Musharraf uses book deal to dodge "bomb" spat

WASHINGTON - Pakistan's leader cited a book deal during an appearance with President George W. Bush on Friday to avoid talking about a purported U.S. threat to bomb his country back to the Stone Age after the September 11 attacks. With his memoir due out on Monday, President Pervez Musharraf managed to plug his book while smoothing diplomatic waters after talks with Bush on their partnership in the war on terrorism and efforts to combat a Taliban resurgence.
Musharraf, in an interview with CBS News magazine show "60 Minutes" to air on Sunday, charged that after the September 11 attacks, the United States threatened to strike Pakistan if it did not cooperate in America's campaign against the Taliban.
Musharraf said Richard Armitage, then deputy secretary of state, told Pakistan's intelligence director, "'Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age.'"
Bush, hailing Musharraf as an important ally, insisted on Friday he knew of no such U.S. threat, and Armitage said he never issued such a warning.
"The first I've heard of this is when I read it in the newspaper today," Bush said as he stood next to Musharraf at a White House news conference. "I guess I was taken aback by the harshness of the words."