Related: Musharraf: U.S. threatened to bomb Pakistan if he didn't help 
Bush said he was "taken aback" by report of threat to bomb Pakistan 
White House says to threaten Pakistan is not U.S. policy

    

U.S. President Bush holds a joint press conference with Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in the East Room of the White House in Washington Friday, Sept. 22, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf at the White House with the two sides having exchanged views on international anti-terrorism, bilateral cooperation and regional issues of mutual concern.

    Speaking to reporters after his talks with Musharraf, Bush praised Pakistani leader's important role in fighting against terrorism.

    "This president is a strong defender of freedom and the people of Pakistan, and I appreciate your leadership," Bush said as he stood next to Musharraf at the news conference.

    When asked about the report that Musharraf said on Thursday in an interview with CBS-TV's "60 Minutes" program that the United States threatened to bomb his country "back to the Stone Age" after the Sept. 11 attacks if he did not help America's war on terror, Bush said he was "taken aback" by report.

    "The first I've heard of this is when I read it in the newspaper today, I guess I was taken aback by the harshness of the words," he said.

    Bush stopped short of flatly denying the report. Instead, he praised Musharraf for being one of the first foreign leaders to come out after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to stand with the U.S. to "help root out an enemy."

    Hours before the news briefing, the White House said it was not U.S. policy to threaten Pakistan after the Sept. 11 attacks, but acknowledged it might have been "a classic failure to communicate."

    "U.S. policy was not to issue bombing threats, U.S. policy was to say to president Musharraf 'we need you to make a choice," White House spokesman Tony Snow said, adding "This could have been a classic failure to communicate. I just don't know."

    Speaking at the news conference, Musharraf also sidestepped the sensitive issue, saying he could not comment because of a book deal. Musharraf attached importance to his talks with Bush, saying he had "far-reaching discussions" with Bush over bilateral, regional and international issues.

    The talks "reinforced our trust and confidence in each other," Musharraf said. "We reinforced our desire to have this relationship on a long term basis, broad-based and a strategic relationship."

    On regional anti-terrorism, Musharraf said Pakistan is joining hands with the United States to hunt for members of al Qaeda.

    "There is total coordination at the intelligence level between the two forces, there is coordination at the operational level, at the strategic level, even at the tactical level. So therefore, we are working together," the Pakistani leader said.

    Before the Sept. 11 attacks, Pakistan was one of the only countries to maintain ties with the Taliban in Afghanistan, which was harboring the Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.

    However, within days of the attacks, Musharraf cut Pakistan's ties to the Taliban government and cooperated with efforts by the U.S. to capture Qaeda and Taliban forces that had sought refuge in Pakistan.

    Pakistan has been one of important U.S. allies in South Asia since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. Enditem