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Musharraf broke promise on Taliban: 9/11 panel

Last updated on: July 23, 2004 09:38 IST

The 9/11 Commission, in its final report, has detailed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's unfulfilled promises of cooperation against the Taliban until he was given a "stark choice" after September 11.

According to the report, Bush Administration did not develop diplomatic initiatives on Al Qaeda before 9/11, but after US put the issue starkly before Musharraf asking: "Are you with us or against us?"

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Musharraf chose to cooperate in return for massive economic and military aid of US $600 million over five years.

Earlier, in January 2000, it said, Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth and the State Department's counter-terrorism coordinator, Michael Sheehan, met with Musharraf in Islamabad and had asked for his cooperation in persuading Taliban leader Mullah Omar to expel Osama bin Laden.

However, Pakistan was unlikely to do anything, "given" what it sees as benefits of Taliban control of Afghanistan, the report quoting both officials said.

At his meeting with Musharraf during stopover in Pakistan on March 25, 2000, President Bill Clinton had pleaded with Musharraf for his help regarding bin Laden, it added.

According to the report, US efforts continued to urge Musharraf to carry on his promise to press Mullah Omar to expel bin Laden. But by September 2000, US was becoming openly critical of Pakistan for supporting a Taliban military offensive aimed at completing the conquest of Afghanistan.