>Pakistan's military has ordered its forces to open fire if U.S. troops launch >another air or ground raid across the Afghan border
In other words, "Vee vant you to commit suicide, men." On Sep 16, 12:02 pm, THE ANNOINTED ONE <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Uh, Boy George, about that "I'm the Decider" decree to invade Pakistan > at will.............. it would seem NOT. > > By STEPHEN GRAHAM, Associated Press Writer > 18 minutes ago > > ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's military has ordered its forces to > open fire if U.S. troops launch another air or ground raid across the > Afghan border, an army spokesman said Tuesday. > > The orders, which come in response to a highly unusual Sept. 3 ground > attack by U.S. commandos, are certain to heighten tensions between > Washington and a key ally against terrorism. Although the ground > attack was rare, there have been repeated reports of U.S. drone > aircraft striking militant targets, most recently on Sept. 12. > > Pakistani officials warn that stepped-up cross-border raids will > accomplish little while fueling violent religious extremism in nuclear- > armed Pakistan. Some complain that the country is a scapegoat for the > failure to stabilize Afghanistan. > > Pakistan's civilian leaders, who have taken a hard line against > Islamic militants since forcing Pervez Musharraf to resign as > president last month, have insisted that Pakistan must resolve the > dispute with Washington through diplomatic channels. > > In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman said Pakistan would "correct the > record" on the latest statement. > > "We enjoy good cooperation with Pakistan along the border," said the > spokesman, Bryan Whitman. "Pakistan is an ally in the global war on > terror." > > However, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas told The Associated > Press that after U.S. helicopters ferried troops into a militant > stronghold in the South Waziristan tribal region, the military told > field commanders to prevent any similar raids. > > "The orders are clear," Abbas said in an interview. "In case it > happens again in this form, that there is a very significant > detection, which is very definite, no ambiguity, across the border, on > ground or in the air: open fire." > > U.S. military commanders accuse Islamabad of doing too little to > prevent the Taliban and other militant groups from recruiting, > training and resupplying in Pakistan's wild tribal belt. > > Pakistan acknowledges the presence of al-Qaida fugitives and its > difficulties in preventing militants from seeping through the > mountainous border into Afghanistan. > > However, it insists it is doing what it can and paying a heavy price, > pointing to its deployment of more then 100,000 troops in its > increasingly restive northwest and a wave of suicide bombings across > the country. > > After talks Tuesday with British officials in London, Pakistani > President Asif Ali Zardari said he did not "think there will be any > more" cross-border raids by the U.S. He declined to comment on the > order to use lethal force against American troops. > > Instead, he and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a joint > statement saying Afghanistan and Pakistan should lead the efforts to > battle border militancy. The joint statement left out any mention of > the United States. > > American officials have confirmed their forces carried out the Sept. 3 > raid near the town of Angoor Ada but given few details of what > happened. > > Abbas said that Pakistan's military had asked for an explanation but > received only a "half-page" of "very vague" information that failed to > identify the intended target. > > Pakistani officials have said the raid killed about 15 people, and > Abbas said they all appeared to be civilians. > > "These were truck drivers, local traders and their families," he said. > > How to reverse a surge in Taliban violence in Afghanistan has become a > major issue in the U.S. presidential campaign and refocused attention > on the porous border with Pakistan. > > Pakistan's military has won American praise for a six-week offensive > against militants in the Bajur tribal region that officials here say > has killed 700 suspected insurgents and about 40 troops. Troops backed > by warplanes killed eight more alleged militants Tuesday, officials > said. > > In the same timeframe, there has been a surge in missile strikes > apparently carried out by unmanned U.S. drones. Such attacks killed at > least two senior al-Qaida commanders earlier this year. > > Abbas did not say when exactly the orders for Pakistani troops to open > fire to prevent cross-border raids by U.S. troops were issued. He > wouldn't discuss whether Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who replaced > Musharraf as army chief last year, personally took the decision or if > the orders had been discussed with American officials. > > The spokesman also played down suggestions that the instructions had > been put into practice before dawn on Monday, when U.S. helicopters > reportedly landed near Angoor Ada only to fly away after troops fired > warning shots. > > Abbas insisted no foreign troops had crossed the border and that > "trigger-happy tribesmen" had fired the shots. Pakistani troops based > nearby fired flares to see what was going on, he said. > > The U.S. military in Afghanistan said none of its troops were > involved. > > In a rare public statement last week, Kayani said Pakistan's > sovereignty would be defended "at all cost." Abbas said Pakistani > officials had to consider public opinion, which is skeptical of > American goals in the region and harbors sympathy for rebels fighting > in the name of Islam. > > "Please look at the public reaction to this kind of adventure or > incursion," Abbas said. "The army is also an extension of the public > and you can only satisfy the public when you match your words with > your actions." --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. 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