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Bush planned Pak attack
- US considered sending forces to destroy terror havens
- US considered sending forces to destroy terror havens
Washington, Nov. 9 (PTI): The US was on the verge ofsending special forces into Pakistan to destroy Taliban and al Qaida safe havens after 9/11 and again in mid-2008, former President George Bush says in his new book.
However, Pakistans rulers thwarted the attempts on both occasions, Bush said.
Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said any US attack would lead to a revolt in Pakistan and the possibility of militants taking over the reins of power and the countrys nuclear arsenal, the former US President said.
In 2008, Bush changed his mind about sending US forces into Pakistan and instead ordered the deployment of drones.
Breaking his silence on the tumultuous days after the 9/11 terror attacks on New York and Washington, Bush said Musharraf and the Pakistani generals had always sought to mislead him by saying that it was the Indians who were influencing the Americans against Pakistan.
Pushing himself back into the public eye after a two-year hibernation, Bush has come out with startling disclosures in his new book, Decision Points.
Bush said that after 9/11 some in the ISI maintained ties with the Taliban and even provided them with safe havens.
During an interview with Matt Lauer of NBC, Bush said after the Taliban and al Qaida were on the run from Kabul, he wanted to send special forces into Pakistan to destroy the terrorists safe havens..
He (Musharraf) told me that sending troops into combat in Pakistan would be viewed as a violation of Pakistani sovereignty. A revolt would likely ensue. His government would probably fall. The extremists could take over the country including its nuclear arsenal, Bush said.
The former US President told Musharraf that Pakistani soldiers must take the lead in the war against terror and for several years the arrangement has worked.
In return, the US lifted sanctions and the Congress provided $3 billion in economic aid to Pakistan. Over time, it became clear that Musharraf either would not or could not fulfill all his promises. Part of the problem was Pakistans obsession with India, he said.
In almost every conversation we had, Musharraf accused India of wrongdoing. Four days after 9 /11, he told me that Indians were trying to equate us with terrorists and trying to influence your mind.
As a result, the Pakistani military spent most of its resources preparing for war with India, Bush said.
A related problem was that Pakistani forces pursued the Taliban much aggressively than they pursued al Qaida. Others wanted an insurance policy in case America abandoned Afghanistan and India tried to gain influence there, he said.
The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | International | Bush planned Pak attack
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