YES, BUSH'S "STAND-UP GUY IN THE WAR AGAINST TERROR" really did say that women "get themselves raped" so they can "make money and get a Canadian visa."

Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan, has denied telling The Washington Post in an interview last week that rape has become a "money-making concern" in Pakistan and that many Pakistanis felt it was an easy way to make money and get a Canadian visa.

The comments have outraged women's groups and sparked protests across Pakistan, marring a high-profile trip Musharraf has made to the United States to promote a moderate image of Pakistan -- in speeches to a Jewish group and a women's group -- while attending the U.N. General Assembly. Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin formally protested the reported remarks in a meeting with Musharraf on the sidelines of the U.N. gathering.

"Let me say with total sincerity that I never said that and it has been misquoted," Musharraf told the women's group. "These are not my words and I would go to the extent of saying I am not so silly and stupid to make comments of this sort."

In an interview with CNN Saturday, Musharraf said that the remarks were made by someone else in his presence and not him.

The rape comments were not the main focus of the article, published Tuesday, which covered a broad range of topics broached in a 50-minute interview. In the 12th paragraph of the article, The Washington Post quoted Musharraf as saying: "This has become a moneymaking concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped."

The interview was conducted by three Washington Post reporters and tape-recorded. A review of the recording yesterday confirmed Musharraf made the remarks and was accurately quoted.

Note that Musharraf did not deny making the remarks because they did not reflect his views or that he found such views repugnant. He denied making the remarks because he would not have been "silly" or "stupid" enough to make them.

Apparently he is both dismissive of rape and stupid enough to say so to a reporter.