Another US writer endorses charges against Musharraf
Friday, February 20, 2009
By Azim M Mian
NEW YORK: Despite repeated denials by former President Pervez Musharraf, another American writer also accused him of playing a “double game” in the war on terror, claiming that the US had indisputable evidence in this regard.
In an interview with The News, Ron Suskind - a seasoned US journalist and author of many books — confirmed that Pervez Musharraf was playing the a “double game” with the Americans and the Taliban, and the US had the indisputable record. Musharraf was also under the US surveillance, and his phone and activities were monitored, he claimed.
Former President Musharraf during an emergency press conference had denied the disclosures by an accomplished American journalist that he (Musharraf) played “double game” by assuring US officials of complete cooperation against terrorism and Taliban while he was quietly in contact with Taliban and encouraged them in their fight against the US forces.
He denied the contents of author David Sanger in his latest book “Inheritance” and termed it a lie by a journalist to sell his book and a plot to defame ISI and Pakistan Army. So far, David Sanger, Chief Correspondent of ‘The New York Times’ in Washington, has not responded to angry Pervez Musharraf’s press conference, but Ron Suskind, who has written many books including “The way of the World”, “Price of Loyalty” and “One Percent Doctrine”, said Pervez Musharraf denied the facts that were known to many resourceful people in Washington.
He said David Sanger was right in his description that Musharraf during his tenure was in fact playing “double game” and the Americans monitored him closely. He also countered Musharraf denial about his conversations with Benazir about her security.
Responding to a question, Ron Suskind pointed out that at least three knowledgeable authors including two former national security advisers had disclosed in their books the issue of Benazir-Musharraf conversations about her security.
“It is indisputable that Benazir and Musharraf did talk about the nature of her security. They were having very complex negotiations. She was very concerned about her security. There were conversations between Musharraf and Benazir. The US was very closely monitoring it,” he claimed.
He agreed with this scribe’s view that Ron Suskind himself in his book “The way to the World” and Zibigniew Berzezinsky in his joint conversations (on the future of American policy) with Brent Scowcroft have also referred to the conversation between Benazir and Musharraf. Musharraf never denied these conversations when it was widely reported in Pakistan quoting these books.
In his book, he mentioned that Benazir and Musharraf had conversations before Benazir’s return to Pakistan and these conversations were secretly recorded by the US agencies. In his book, “The way of the World” Ron Suskind also disclosed the fabrication of letters and documents by the Bush administration about Iraq’s possession of so-called chemical weapons as a pretext to invade Iraq.