Maryland Conservatarian

An interesting tidbit at a White House news briefing today where Bush (was) 'Taken Aback' by Musharraf Comment

“In a White House news briefing after a meeting in the Oval Office, Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf were asked about a threat that Musharraf has attributed to Richard L. Armitage, the deputy secretary of state at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks. In an interview with the CBS program "60 Minutes" scheduled for broadcast Sunday, Musharraf said his intelligence chief had informed him that Armitage warned, "Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age." Musharraf said the purported threat was insulting and "a very rude remark," according to excerpts released by CBS"

Mr. Armitage remembers it a bit differently:

“Armitage today denied that he spoke in such terms to Pakistan's military intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Ahmad, or delivered any bombing threat.”

Now, normally I would be reticent to take a guy like Pakistani President Musharraf’s word for anything – especially over the word of a trusted U.S. official…but this is second difference of memories that Richard Armitage has been linked to in the last two weeks. (Today Armitage, tomorrow...?) I include this helpful link and reminder because, remarkably, the Post’s William Branigin never once mentions Mr. Armitage’s other alleged (by the very credible Robert Novak) recent memory lapse.

Unfortunately, Mr. Musharraf was unable to further comment…and for that most American of reasons:

“Musharraf said he would like to comment, but that he was launching a book on Sept. 25, "and I am honor-bound to Simon and Schuster not to comment on the book before that day."