The helicopter attack on Pakistan Army border posts in Mohmand tribal agency could further strain the already tense relations between Islamabad and Kabul that ran into rough weather in September following the assassination of Afghan High Peace Council chairman Burhanuddin Rabbani.
Islamabad on Sunday protested to the Afghan government about the use of its soil by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) for attacking Pakistan even as reports from Afghanistan suggest that the helicopters were called in by ground troops in Eastern Kunar when they came under fire from the Pakistani side. It was not clear whether the firing from the Pakistani side was by terrorists or security personnel.
While Pakistan's contention is that the border posts were clearly marked and the attack was unprovoked, the coalition forces point out that the unclear border demarcation on the ground was often used by terrorists to their advantage; creating problems for security personnel.
Given that this attack comes in the wake of several cross-border incursions into Pakistan from Afghanistan through the summer despite heavy coalition force presence west of the Durand Line, Pakistan was up in arms and the anger was primarily directed against the U.S.
Protest marches were held in various parts of the country including near the U.S. consulate in Karachi, even as funeral prayers were offered for the 24 soldiers killed in the attack. The combined funeral prayer organised in Peshawar before the bodies were sent to their respective native places was attended by Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and the provincial leadership.
Apprehensive of attacks, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad issued an alert asking Americans to be vigilant. While the U.S. Embassy maintained it was not aware of any specific threat, employees have been advised to reduce non-essential travel and use “buddy systems” to account for the whereabouts of colleagues. As a matter of caution, the Embassy has asked some of its personnel employed outside Islamabad to return to the federal capital.
With the closure of supply lines for NATO troops in Afghanistan, trucks were lined up at the two border crossing points of Chaman in Balochistan and Torkham in the Khyber agency. The closure is not expected to affect NATO troops drastically as attackson these trucks had forced the U.S. and its allies to shift movement of bulk of non-military supplies through Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Keywords: U.S.-Pakistan ties, NATO attack, war against terror
As Admiral Mike Mullen's open accusation of pak's involvement and clandestine support to terror activities in afghanistan aimed at the nato forces and afghan society shows that US is losing patience and is getting weary of doing business with a country like pak that is nothing but a terrorist hive filled with swarming stingers.It is using ter.outfits and networks to maintain its strategic greed in the region. With or without pak's consent droneattacks by the US on ter.hideouts in the tribal areas near afpak border is taking place on a regular basis. Natoforces has been attacking paktroops on border checkpoints for the past 3yrs or so. The militantgroups trained by pakagencies that take advantage of the chaos prevalent in the border regions to attack the coalition forces are reason for the escalation of tension in those areas.Sometimes pak soldiers are mistaken for insurgents and killed.Pak should learn that its tryst with terrorism, a double-edged sword has began to draw blood.
I hope that pakistani troops will start to protect themselves and lovely people of Afganistan and Pakistan. God have mercy on our young and old. Death is destined and will come to every one. I hope the foreign agents will be sent to their loving families.
now they know how we feel when pak army does such attacks on our indian outposts.they got a taste of their medicine.
p.s.condolonces for the dead
As Admiral Mike Mullen's open accusation of pak's involvement and clandestine support to terror activities in afghanistan aimed at the nato forces and afghan society shows that US is losing patience and is getting weary of doing business with a country like pak that is nothing but a terrorist hive filled with swarming stingers.It is using ter.outfits and networks to maintain its strategic greed in the region. With or without pak's consent droneattacks by the US on ter.hideouts in the tribal areas near afpak border is taking place on a regular basis. Natoforces has been attacking paktroops on border checkpoints for the past 3yrs or so. The militantgroups trained by pakagencies that take advantage of the chaos prevalent in the border regions to attack the coalition forces are reason for the escalation of tension in those areas.Sometimes pak soldiers are mistaken for insurgents and killed.Pak should learn that its tryst with terrorism, a double-edged sword has began to draw blood.
As Admiral Mike Mullen's open accusation of pak's involvement and clandestine support to terror activities in afghanistan aimed at the nato forces and afghan society shows that US is losing patience and is getting weary of doing business with a country like pak that is nothing but a terrorist hive filled with swarming stingers.It is using ter.outfits and networks to maintain its strategic greed in the region. With or without pak's consent droneattacks by the US on ter.hideouts in the tribal areas near afpak border is taking place on a regular basis. Natoforces has been attacking paktroops on border checkpoints for the past 3yrs or so. The militantgroups trained by pakagencies that take advantage of the chaos prevalent in the border regions to attack the coalition forces are reason for the escalation of tension in those areas.Sometimes pak soldiers are mistaken for insurgents and killed.Pak should learn that its tryst with terrorism, a double-edged sword has began to draw blood.
Of course... Pakistan on the boil... The whole region is on the boil due to Pakistan's duplicity. Pakistan's support for terrorism "on the sly" while ostensibly "doing" the west's bidding has been one of the most shameful double games in history. The poisonous legacy of nuclear rogue sates abetted by this rogue Nation threatens us all for ever.
Pakistan supports the terrorists and their land is the home of international terrorism. To prevent such incidents, Pakistan should eliminate terrorists from their land and accept the responsibility for the death of their soldiers due to a friendly fire while waging a war against terrorism.
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