Musharraf defends memoirs as "whole truth"

LONDON, Sep 28 (Reuters) Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf defended his decision to publish memoirs and said today everything in his book ''In the Line of Fire'' was true.

''Yes, there are controversies over some parts of the book.

That's normal,'' he told reporters at London's Heathrow airport after arriving in England for a two-day visit.

''But I know one thing and that whatever I have said in the book is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and I stand by it.'' His book sparked controversy even before its launch. He told an American television interviewer that former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage had warned that Pakistan would be bombed ''back to the Stone Age'' if it failed to help Washington avenge al Qaeda's September 11, 2001 attacks.

The United States denied the claim and analysts said such remarks were unhelpful for Pakistan's relations with Washington.

''Now with the controversies of whether I should have written or not written -- well, why shouldn't I have written? It is more than for myself,'' Musharraf said.

''I thought that because of the world looking at me inquisitively, personally, I thought through me I could project the reality of Pakistan and what Pakistan stands for and clear all the misconceptions.'' Musharraf will hold talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair today and give a speech in Oxford tomorrow.

Musharraf said he would be discussing bilateral issues including trade, counter-terrorism and reinforcing intelligence. He said the international issues he hoped to discuss included West Asia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett played down fears that an intelligence report published by the BBC yesterday, which criticised Pakistan's ability to fight terrorism, would overshadow the visit.

''I hope not. I don't see that it necessarily should because it is not an official government document in any way,'' Beckett told the BBC.

The author of the report heaped blame for a failure to win the war on terrorism on Pakistan, alleging that its intelligence agency, ISI, indirectly supported the hardline Taliban.

REUTERS SP KP1915