Reporting for Pakistan’s Dawn Newsapaper, Anwar Iqbal and Masood Haider covered a surreal press conference in Washington at which Bush affirmed US respect for Pakistan sovereignty just hours after a US missile destroyed a house and killed six people in the Fata region: “The prime minister rejected a perception that militants had popular support in Pakistan. “I assure the United States and the people of the United States that the majority of the people of Pakistan and the people of those areas in the NWFP and Fata — they are patriots, loyalists. They want peace in the world. And they want to cooperate.”

The militants, he said, were a small minority and were opposed by the local people.

There were a few militants, there were a handful people, militants who were disturbing peace, he said. “And I assure Mr Bush we’ll work together for democracy and for prosperity and peace of the world.”

After the meeting, the two leaders walked out of the Oval Office onto the Rose Garden of the White House, enjoying their brief walk on a bright, sunny day.

Media personnel were asked to line up in the lawn, facing the garden. After the remarks, the two leaders walked back into the Oval Office, ignoring the questions hurled at them.”

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