Pakistani Leader Takes on Blair

July 21, 2005 — -- Prior to the second London subway incident in two weeks, Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf spoke with ABC News' Cynthia McFadden: and answered questions about extremists in his own country, the search for Osama bin Laden and accusations that the mastermind of the first London terror bombing is in Pakistan. Here is a selection of highlights from their discussion and sit-down interview.

There are religious leaders who indulge in extremism and hate campaigns within London. Have they arrested any of them? Please set your house in order first. Because this indoctrination of youngsters is happening in England. These three came from there. They've been born there, they've been educated there. How is Pakistan to blame? So please stop casting aspersion"

"You do your job in your country. I do my job in my country."

"What have you done? There hasn't been anybody here passing an edict against Mr. Prime Minister Tony Blair. But here sitting in London they passed an edict against me. Nothing has been done."

"I'd like to ask -- there are two extremist organizations in … London …. Do you know that they passed an edict, a fatwah against me? That killing me is, should be -- they passed an edict to kill me … What did England do about this? Have they banned these organizations? Have they arrested the person who has done that? No, nothing. Nothing. In the name of human rights, in the name of liberty, human liberty, freedom of speech, this is going on. So why blame us? Please set your own house in order. Everyone has to do something. The world is in turmoil."

McFadden: If you found him, would you turn him over to the Americans?

Musharraf: Now this -- we'll see -- we'll see what happens.

McFadden: Hard issue.

Musharraf: We hope he's found in Afghanistan by the Americans.

McFadden: I bet. [both chuckle a bit]. It would raise enormous problems for you at home … Many have suggested that it is easier for Pakistan to have Osama bin Laden not captured than to have to deal with the reality of Osama bin Laden in captivity.

Musharraf: These are sensitive issues. He has a clout in certain brand of people. So … therefore I would much prefer that somebody else handled him.

McFadden: Which makes me think you are not looking quite as hard as you might.

Musharraf: [laughing] No, not at all. We are. Our intelligence is very well coordinated, by the way. If we are not looking very intensively for him, then the United States is also not looking for him. Our intelligence is extremely well coordinated. By the way, let me also tell you -- as I said there are three: human intelligence is all Pakistan; technological, you must understand, is more United States. Aerial surveillance is United States, OK? So if there's an intelligence failure, 2/3 is United States failure, 1/3 Pakistan. You must understand that.

McFadden: I want to read you something that the CIA chief in the United States said and get your reaction to it. He said that American intelligence "has an excellent idea of where bin Laden is but we are probably not going to bring Mr. bin Laden to justice because very difficult questions dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states." Most people read this as Pakistan won't go in and let us grab him.