WASHINGTON DC: The startling disclosure by President General Pervez Musharraf in an interview that the United States had threatened to bomb Pakistan back to the stone age unless it cooperated in the war on terror was the hot topic of conversation in media and official circles here on Thursday and Friday.

Members of the Pakistani delegation accompanying the president on his US visit, diplomats and media representatives were particularly intrigued by the timing of the report that grabbed instant headlines.

Notably, selected transcripts of the president’s interview with CBS news magazine show ‘60 Minutes’ were released here on the eve of his important meeting with President George W. Bush even though it is to be aired on Sunday.

“Let us not read too much into it” was Pakistan military spokesperson Major General Shaukat Sultan’s response. His counsel to curious hacks was to wait and see the actual interview before jumping to any conclusion. Other government media managers also tried to downplay it, saying there was nothing new in it.

While it is not clear when and exactly where the interview was given to the network, it is believed to have taken place in Pakistan a month back.

Many believe that this disclosure - reportedly also mentioned in Musharraf’s soon-to-be released autobiography ‘In the Line of Fire’ - is bound to increase its demand. The formal book launch is scheduled for September 25 at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Besides the president, his wife Sehba Musharraf will also speak on the occasion, it is learnt. The president is expected to explain why he wrote a book while in office and respond to criticism that it was an attempt at self-projection that would lead to financial benefits at the state expense. There are already projections that his book, in which controversial issues such the Kargil war, 1999 military coup and war on terror figure, has the potential of a best-seller. YELLOW ROSE & VISAS: On Thursday a dinner hosted by Pakistan’s Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrani in honour of President Musharraf was followed by a colourful cultural show depicting the Indus life through dance and music. However, at the outset it was announced that the entire planned programme could not be followed as 10 male members of the cultural troupe were unable to make it to the show for being refused the US visa. US ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker and former US ambassador Nancy Powell, who were among the invitees, seemed somewhat abashed when guests started to boo. This visa point was made again by Naeem Tahir, the head of Pakistan National Council, who had put together the show. Addressing the guests at the end of the show, President Musharraf also mentioned it. He regretted that the segment on NWFP which is invariably linked with Al Qaeda and Taliban had to be dropped because artistes were not granted visa.

Hadiqa Kiani, the pop diva of Pakistan, who was the last one to perform, sang one of President Bush’s favourite songs ‘Yellow Rose of Texas’ which had also been played at the banquet hosted in honour of President Bush when he visited Pakistan in March. Republican Senator Sheila Jackson from Texas who is a great supporter of Pakistan appeared thrilled with the song. Pakistani expatriates, on the other hand, were a bit disappointed that no milli naghma was sung by her.