Washington, Nov. 9: The US came on the verge of marching its special forces into Pakistan to smash Taliban and al Qaeda safe havens twice, post 9/11 and then again in mid-2008, but the country’s rulers thwarted the attempts, the former President, Mr George Bush, has revealed.
The former military dictator, Mr Pervez Musharraf, had frustrated him from the move by conjuring up a spectre of a revolt in Pakistan and the possibility of militants taking over the reins of power and the country’s nuclear arsenal, Mr Bush said.
And then in 2008 he himself changed his mind and instead ordered deployment of drones, the former President said.
Breaking his silence on the tumultuous days after the dreadful 9/11 terror attacks on the US, Mr Bush said that Mr Musharraf and Pakistani Generals had always sought to mislead him by saying that it was Indians who were influencing Americans against Pakistan.
Pushing himself back into the public eye after a two year hibernation, the former President has come out with these startling new disclosures in his new book which he has titled Decision Points, where he says that post 9/11, some in the Pakistan Intelligence Services maintained relationship with the Taliban and, in fact, provided them safe havens.
Mr Bush also directed the Pentagon to plan an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the former US president has revealed in his memoirs.
He also considered a covert attack on Syria at Israel’s request, Mr Bush disclosed in Decision Points, his 497-page account of his time in office, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Mr Bush wrote on Iran: “I directed the Pentagon to study what would be necessary for a strike.”