ISLAMABAD: The former Inter Services Intelligence chief who conveyed United States Secretary Richard Armitage's reported threat to "bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age" if it failed to crackdown on Taliban after 9/11 to President Pervez Musharraf has "vanished" to escape attempts by the media to get his version.
ISI chief General Mehmood Ahmad Mehmood, who prematurely retired from the army after he was sidelined by Musharraf following disclosures that he tried to persuade Taliban chief Mullah Omar to not to give in to US pressure after 9/11, has since settled in Lahore and was not available for comment, The News reported.
In an interview to CBS show 60 Minutes in Washington last week, Musharraf had said that Armitage had threatened to bomb Pakistan. His comments were based on a report to him by Ahmed about the American stand on Pakistan's role in the war against terrorism after the 9/11 strikes.
Mahmood who took active part in the October 1999 coup that brought Musharraf to power was later made chairman of the Fouji Fertilisers. He was, however, removed during a purge of army commanders. He has since then joined the Tableeghi Jamaat.
