Thursday, May 11 2006 16:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: In a startling revelation, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has claimed that during her tenure some Arab militant leaders and Pakistani generals had planned to start a war against the US in association with Osama bin Laden but she vetoed it.

Following the disintegration of the USSR after the Soviets defeat in Afghanistan, some Arab militant leaders and Pakistani generals planned to start war against the United States.

"However, I vetoed this plan. Thereafter, Osama started his endeavors to pull down my government. Ramzi Yusuf tried to assassinate me," Bhutto said.

Yusuf was the mastermind behind the first World Trade Centre attacks in the US.

Two senior Army Generals, Army Chief Aslam Baig and Director General ISI Gen. Hamid Gul who turned out to bebitter critics of US and defenders of militant group, served during Bhutto's second tenure between 1988 and 1990.

In a free-wheeling interview to an American journalist which was telecast on Geo TV, she said the Saudi King had told her in 1989 that he declined to provide money to destabilise her government.

"The adviser to Saudi king told one of my ministers that Osama provided 10 million dollars for toppling my government," she said, adding terrorist activities started following the dissolution of her government in 1990.

She said Ramzi Yusuf has toyed with the idea of attacking World Trade Towers in 1990s and United States then sought cooperation of her government.

"I offered to US authorities to set up the FBI office in Pakistan in 1993 so that effective action could be launched to eliminate terrorism. As a result Ramzi Yousuf was arrested," he said.