Date:01/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/01/stories/2006100104111700.htm

International

Pakistan is the bulwark against terror: Musharraf

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: In his strongest reaction yet to the criticism in Britain and America that his Government was not fully cooperating in the "war'' against terror, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday warned that the West would be "brought to its knees'' without his country's support.

"If we were not with you, you won't manage anything," he told the BBC angrily rejecting a report by a British intelligence official which accused the Pakistani security service, ISI, of indirectly supporting terrorism and extremism.

Insisting that Pakistan was the West's "main ally'' in its "war'' on terror, Gen. Musharraf said: "You'll be brought down to your knees if Pakistan doesn't co-operate with you. That is all that I would like to say. Pakistan is the main ally. If we were not with you, you won't manage anything".

Blair thanks Musharraf

Gen. Musharraf's comments came after he had a two-hour meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mr. Blair thanked him for his help in fighting terror and assured him that the controversial document, accusing the ISI of supporting terrorists, did not reflect his Government's view.

Gen. Musharraf said he accepted Mr. Blair's assurance.

The Ministry of Defence, for which the paper was reportedly written, also distanced itself from its findings saying it did not represent its views.

BBC, which first disclosed the existence of such a paper, quoted British officials as claiming that it was written by a junior official, was "unfinished'' and had not been seen by anyone who actually made Government policy.