"Pakistan Did Not Influence 9/11 Probe"

[Gold9472]

‘Pakistan did not influence 9/11 probe’

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/10/top4.htm

By Qudssia Akhlaque

ISLAMABAD, April 9: The Foreign Office on Sunday rubbished a report implying that Pakistan had bribed members of the US 9/11 Inquiry Commission to drop from its finding negative references to Pakistan. “Pakistan has never indulged in the illegal activity of bribing or buying influence anywhere in the world,” said a statement issued by the FO spokesperson here on Sunday.

Reacting to the report titled ‘Did Pakistan Influence the 9/11 Commission Report?’ appearing in the March 3-9 issue of a Lahore-based English weekly, the spokesperson termed it ‘utterly baseless and irresponsible’.

Taking strong exception to the ‘unfounded and totally fabricated story,’ the spokesperson asserted: “It is full of distortions which are obviously aimed at making a sensational story.”

Referring to the writer’s claim to have learnt from ‘reliable sources’ that FO officials had told a ‘secret’ meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that “Pakistan gave tens of thousand of dollars” to members of the inquiry commission to drop negative references to Pakistan, she pointed out that the PAC meeting referred to in the report was not secret.

“It was open to the media. In fact, several media representatives were present during the meeting and reported on its proceedings,” she said, adding that none of the other journalists covering the meeting reported what the weekly magazine allegedly learnt from its sources.

The PAC meeting on Feb 28 had considered the audit reports of the ministry of foreign affairs for 1989-99.

The spokesperson said that during the discussions the PAC had inquired about the role of lobbyists that Pakistan engaged in Washington, adding that the query was in connection with a specific appointment in 1989.

Recalling that the PAC had been briefed about the role of lobbyists and the ministry’s lobbying efforts for disseminating and projecting Pakistan’s standpoint, she stated: “At no stage anybody claimed to have bribed the members of the 9/11 commission.”

The spokesperson said: “Pakistan has hired various lobbyists over last several decades to promote bilateral relations.”

[Gold9472]

Pakistan denies spending money to remove findings from 9/11 report

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/...02006203335375

4/10/2006

Islamabad: Pakistan yesterday rejected claims made by a former diplomat that Islamabad spent thousands of dollars through lobbyists to drop some of the negative findings about the country in the United State’s 9/11 commission report.

Claims by former Pakistani diplomat Muhammad Sadiq, reported in the media, that a lot of money had been spent to “silence” members of the inquiry commission and induce them to go “soft” on Pakistan were baselees, foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said in a statement here.

The said PAC meeting on February 28 considered the audit reports of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the period 1989-1999. During the discussions, the PAC enquired about the role of lobbyists that were engaged in Washington, the spokesperson said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefed the PAC about the role of lobbyists and efforts to disseminate and project Pakistan’s point of view. At no stage did anybody claim to have bribed the members of the 9/11 Commission, she said.

“Engaging lobbyists is a well-established common practice in some of the western capitals, including Washington. Pakistan has hired various lobbyists over last several decades to promote bilateral relations,” and Islamabad had never indulged in the illegal activity of bribing or buying influence anywhere in the world, she said.

Aslam’s reaction followed a report in ‘the Daily Times’ yesterday that US media probed claims by Sadiq, stating that that Pakistan spent thousands of dollars through its lobbyists to drop some of the negative findings about Pakistan from the 9/11 Commission report.

[Gold9472]

Pakistan refutes claims it influenced 9/11 findings

http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?a...lnews&id=40069

4/9/2006

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Foreign Office has categorically rubbished claims that it had bribed members of the US 9/11 Inquiry Commission to drop from its findings, negative references to Pakistan.

The Foreign Office in its statement, said that “Pakistan had never indulged in the illegal activity of bribing or buying influence anywhere in the world”.

Reacting to a report in a leading Pakistani daily, tilted ‘Did Pakistan Influence the 9/11 Commission Report?’ Foreign Office spokersperson Tasneem Aslam said that the report was ‘utterly baseless and irresponsible’.

“It is full of distortions, which are obviously aimed at making a sensational story,” the Dawn quoted her as saying, adding that the report was ‘totally unfounded and fabricated’.

She further said that the Public Accounts Committee secret meeting where FO officials had reportedly said that “Pakistan gave tens of thousand of dollars” to members of the inquiry commission to drop negative references to Pakistan, was not secret at all.

“It was open to the media. In fact, several media representatives were present during the meeting and reported on its proceedings,” she said adding that the PAC had been briefed about the role of lobbyists and the ministry’s lobbying efforts for disseminating and projecting Pakistan’s standpoint.

“At no stage anybody claimed to have bribed the members of the 9/11 commission. Pakistan has hired various lobbyists over last several decades to promote bilateral relations,” she further said.

[Gold9472]

I can't find any news reports of this non-secret meeting.

[Gold9472]

All this is, to me, is a he said/she said. It's not like Governments have never lied before. We know Pakistan was involved. They're not denying that, just the allegation of bribery. Their involvement wasn't mentioned in the 9/11 Report, and now they have become this country's "best buddy" in the "War On Terror". Bribery certainly makes sense to me. I think it should be investigated.

[Gold9472]

On the other side of that, if he did lie, why did he lie?

[Partridge]

Difficult to know what to think really. One thing that jumps out is that (looking on google news) all reports alledging bribery come from India, the denials from Pakistan. There could easily be some geo-politics at work here - India and Pakistan are not the best of friends to say the least!

But then were faced with an offical denial that goes beyond plausabilty: "Pakistan had never indulged in the illegal activity of bribing or buying influence anywhere in the world”.

As if! Methinks the lady doth protest too much! Corruption is endemic in 'lobby politics', and such an outright denial of any wrongdoing ever is absurd. Then again, lying about such activites is routine also.

So I don't know what to think really. I don't know anything about the people involved.

[Partridge]

On the other side of that, if he did lie, why did he lie?

He himself was bribed by the Indian secret service to implicate Pakistan in an embarassing international folly that would work to India's gain?

Just speculation, I don't know.

[Gold9472]

He himself was bribed by the Indian secret service to implicate Pakistan in an embarassing international folly that would work to India's gain?

Just speculation, I don't know.

I think it makes sense that they were bribed. However, it also makes sense that they didn't investigate Pakistan because of Goss, Graham, Kyl, and Tenet's connection to them.