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| NATO's senseless aggressiveness in FATA |
| Zaheerul Hassan |
| On June 10, 2008 US - led coalition forces along the Afghan border launched an air strike on a Frontier Corps Sheikh Baba border post in the mountainous Gora Prai region in Mohmand Agency. 11 Pakistani paramilitary troops including one major, 10 civilian killed and several injured. The incident took place inside Pakistan, near the border with Afghanistan. Pentagon confirmed that coordinated artillery and air strikes was carried out.
On Jun 11 2008, Prime Minister Gilani condemned the deaths, telling parliament: "We will take a stand for the sake of this country's sovereignty, for the sake of its dignity and self-respect". He further revealed that "We do not allow our territory to be used.
We completely condemn this, and will take it up through the foreign office." Governor and Chief Minster N.W.F.P too fated the brutality of NATO Forces based in Afghanistan. Foreign office called US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson to the office and handed over the strong protest against the coalition forces attack on Pakistani Post.
Major General Athar Abbas, Pakistani Army Chief Spokes Man, has strongly condemned and launched the protest while saying that "we reserved the right to protect our citizens and soldiers against aggression and had hit at the very basis of cooperation between the two allies in the war on terror". He declared this incident as a "completely unprovoked and cowardly act".
This is the worst incident of its kind since US and NATO-led forces began fighting militants in Afghanistan in 2001 and after coming into power of newly elected democratic government.
Foreign Minster of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi who was on a conference at Paris also asked NATO and US to refrain from such type of activities against the most important ally in war against terror. Actually, it was a planned attack which was launched intestinally under the garb of hot pursuit due to Taliban actions in Kuner area of Afghanistan.
It clearly showing the Washington's dual face and NATO's frustration over the peace process, such type of actions are also reflecting future desire of US to stay in the area even after the presidential elections for the achievement of her strategic aims.
Pakistani and US officials have presented different view on accounts of this cowardly act of NATO's Forces. Pentagon declared that the attack was launched in response to their self defence whereas Islamabad and locals narrated that it was something which was the continuity of ruthless actions of Allied forces. Washington must know that partnership is already highly unpopular among Pakistanis and threatening the future relations of allies under the prevailing environment.
Newly elected government supported by Pakistan Army started peace process from its day one, because she believes in resolving the militant problem through negotiations instead of using weapons. 15 points Tribal Peace Pact in swat was concluded between the government and local Taliban but some how it is still not being digested by US led coalition Forces.
US intelligence agencies and high officials started blaming Pakistan openly for supporting Taliban inside Afghanistan, where as Islamabad time and again denied such type of support to the militants.
Pak Govt categorically made it clear that agreement has been done with the peaceful tribal only. Afghan and US-led forces accused Islamabad of not doing enough to deny Taliban militants from border crossing and infiltrating into Afghanistan.
On this base less plea NATO's forces started violating the territorially boundaries, targeting innocent tribal and hitting the posts.
Reportedly, so far in 2008 more than 51 persons including children and women are killed due to NATO various missile actions. Infect, Pakistan has suffered a lot due to so called war on terror.
More than one hundred thousand troop's couple with the intelligence agencies are involved and deployed to counter the Al-Qaeda militants. 1000 officers, junior commissioned officers and Jawans laid their lives during this war. Instead acknowledging the scarifications of brave Pakistani Soldiers, American's top brass and their media are propagating against the role of its major ally.
Similar nature of strikes ware also carried out on February 28, 2008 by coalition forces in which they launched three missiles in Pakistani area. (South Wazirastan) In this attack 13 innocent residents killed and 11 sustained critical injuries.
On March 12, US led coalition forces again launched a precision guided missile in Waziristan on compound in which two Pakistani women and two children got killed. US in the past have used unmanned drones to attack suspected militants inside FATA.
On June 14, 2008 US Drone again hit village Maceen located in South Waziristan and killing one Pakistani. Islamabad does not allow foreign troops to conduct military operations on its territory. It says aerial attacks launched from Afghanistan are a violation of its sovereignty.
US and NATO - led coalition forces are operating in Afghanistan, with NATO focused mainly on peacekeeping and reconstruction and the US troops working more directly to combat militant activity.
Pakistan already asked US and Afghanistan for the erection of fence along the border which has never been accepted by the Washington and its allies. Probably, underlined motive of un - acceptance of sealing of the border reveals that crossing of CIA, RAW, Mossad and Khad sponsored terrorists to Pakistan will be checked effectively. Thus, closing the border would also jeopardize their ultimate aim of creating instability in Pakistan and containing its closely tied friend china which is also an emerging economic and strategic power. US double standard in world politics is also on its climax. US Troop's distrust of Pakistani Army can be determined from the articles published in Gulf Times dated 08 April 2008, and Washington Post too.
One side she is claming Islamabad as their true ally's in war against terror but on the other side privately and in occasional comments published in the American media, they remain highly critical to Pakistani armed forces and even accuse them of siding with the Taliban against them. Ann Scott Tyson writes in his recent article published in the Washington Post mentions the examples of distrust by the US military officers for the Pakistan Army and the paramilitary Frontier Corps. Captain Chris Hammonds, commander of a US outpost near the Pakistani border in Paktika province stated that Pakistan military is corrupt.
He alleged that Pakistani forces told Taliban insurgents about the location of his observation post. He claimed that Pakistani military never answer the phone when the US troops call it for help during firefights with Taliban fighters. A US soldier alleged "The Frontier Corps might as well be Taliban. They are active facilitators of infiltration.
Frontier Corps, which manned several border checkpoints, is being viewed by US soldiers as nearly an enemy force. Such types of rough comments and vocal statements given by responsible person of NATO should have been taken seriously by Washington but unfortunately none of the official condemned or denied these statements.
US Attitude does indicate the nefarious motive of the leader of the war toward Pakistan. If the US troops harbour such distrust of Pakistani soldiers, it is inevitable that the latter too would show lack of trust in their American counterparts.
In such circumstances, Pakistan and US would find it hard to sincerely co-operate with each other while fighting the so-called "war on terror." Captain Chris and US soldier must know that it's quite evident that Washington, US army and CIA are jointly working with India and Israel against Pakistan.
The creditability of the force in which he is employed already being doubted even by its own allies operating with her. The soldiers of NATO forces including US Army are involved in selling out their kit items, food, and uniform on very cheaper rates to the locals of Afghanistan.
These items even are available in the markets of Peshawar. Reportedly, no of females soldiers operating in Iraq were gone back to US after becoming the victim of rape by their own comrades. Thus the said examples are enough to judge the character of its own force.
On April 12, this year, American President Bush also said that Pakistan, and not Afghanistan or Iraq, is now a most likely place "where a plot to carry out any 9/11 type attack in the US" could be made. On the other side, manipulating the US ambivalent policy, India, Afghanistan and Israel have been availing this golden opportunity to achieve their covert goals by continuously trying to convince the US-led western states that Pakistan is sponsoring cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan and Kashmir.
It is notable that despite the peace deals of the new government with the Taliban, bomb blasts in Mardan, Kohat and number of violence of along Pak border are enough examples of shattering the trust of the important ally.
On June 11 , 2008 Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a defence correspondents gathering , said that al-Qaeda threat from Pakistan represents a "huge challenge" for the United States, but Pakistan has been lacking in its execution of a strategy to eradicate the safe havens for terrorists and insurgents in the lawless region known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas( FATA) .He also demanded the expulsion of al Qaeda in FATA.
US military officials are also claiming that Baitullah Mahsud, a Pakistani Taliban commander in South Waziristan, was reorganizing the Taliban with help from agents in Pakistan's intelligence agencies. Version of US military officials is just a
In short , we can notice gulf between US and Pakistan is being widen due to the irrational attitude of responsible US high officials, irresponsible comments given by the individuals like Capt Chris regarding Pak Army , senseless strikes of coalition forces in tribal area and killing innocent civilian and soldiers , US Policies in Pakistani general public are already being disliked and attack in Mahmmmad agency gave further blow to the future of war against terror.
The reckless behaviour of US led forces will take the war on terror towards ultimate failure. The increase of American cost of war against terrorism, which has now reached more than six trillion dollars -decline of dollar, soaring prices of oil and acute recession inside the country have given a greater setback to the US economy. NATO's European members, especially Germany are reluctant to send more troops in Afghanistan. Canada and Australia intend withdrawing their forces in future. Thus future leadership of NATO and Washington too has to think to get away from the region. It is already become difficult for the trader to provide logistic support to this force due to the week security arrangements in Afghanistan.
Pakistani nation is very rightly started thinking and asking her newly elected coalition govt to retaliate NATO and US Force ruthless actions against the innocent tribal and Pakistani Paramilitary forces instead launching protest, condemning the strikes time and again.
American led Coalition must realise that launching air strikes, sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan in collaboration with her traditional enemy, claiming targeting militants instead killing civilian and Pakistani soldiers , will lead to further distrust and rise the ant sentiments - US in the nation .
Now the time has come that political and military leaderships must regard the public opinion and reaffirm the policy on so called war against terror before offering cooperation to NATO and US in future. Thus, the senseless bombing on civilian and soldiers in FATA forecasting US led NATO's Forces ultimate defeat. |
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