Bush expresses shock at ‘Stone Age’ threat

US PRESIDENT George W Bush said yesterday he was “taken aback” by a purported US threat to bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age if it did not cooperate in the fight against terrorism after the September 11 attacks.

He praised Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf for being one of the first foreign leaders to come out after the attacks to stand with the US to “help root out an enemy”.

At a joint White House news conference, Mr Musharraf said a peace treaty between his government and tribes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is not meant to support the Taliban.