Bush Misquoted
as Top US Officials Call Off Visit to Islamabad
Special
SAT Report
WASHINGTON:
Pakistani officials, loyal to General Musharraf, misquoted President
George Bush on Oct 1 in a bid to show that the US was still behind
the General and his meeting with PM Jamali was not significant.
But
their not-so-smart attempt apparently backfired as Washington
suddenly called off the top level visits of Under Secretary Richard
Armitage and Assistant Secretary Christina Rocca to Islamabad,
scheduled to begin on Oct 2. It was apparently embarrassing for
Mr. Jamali as he appeared to have been ignored in Washington as
these officials were heading for Islamabad to talk to the Generals.
The
all important line that Mr. Bush had “expressed happiness
that democracy was working in Pakistan” was added by the
official news agency APP, when there was no such remark made by
Mr. Bush at his Oval Office chat with journalists in the presence
of Mr. Jamali.
The
official text of their statements was released by the White House
minutes after it was over and it did not include the words attributed
to the US President. Click
to View White House Text
In
Pakistan leading newspapers made the concocted Bush comment into
major headlines but Daily Dawn of Karachi did not report any such
statement. All newspapers were asked by officials in Islamabad
to pick up the APP story as no correspondent present on the occasion
reported the comment, because none was made.
This
blatant “media management” was under direct orders
of army and ISI officers who are part of the Jamali entourage.
They have also been managing what Mr. Jamali would say in public
and under their orders, the news conference addressed by Mr. Jamali
was cut short, without the PM being allowed to take many questions.
He
was also given a written statement to read after his meeting with
Mr. Bush.
