Pakistan rejects U.S. military report

[ via Politico ] 23 Dec

The Pakistani army on Friday rejected a U.S. military report that concluded both American and Pakistani officials were to blame for a cross-border attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last month, dismissing the U.S. probe as “short on facts.”

The army “does not agree with the findings of the U.S./NATO inquiry as being reported in the media,” the Pakistan army said in a statement early Friday, the Associated Press reports. “The inquiry report is short on facts.”

Read more: Politico

Read more »

US admits mistakes over killings of Pakistan troops

[ via BBC News Asia ] 22 Dec

The US military has admitted it bears significant responsibility for last month's air strike on the Afghan border that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. A Pentagon spokesman later expressed "deep regret" over the incident.

Coffins of the martyred Pakistan Army soldier (L) - Smoke from the destroyed Pakistan Army Posts attacked by NATO

A statement said US and Afghan troops acted in self defence, but conceded there had been a lack of proper co-ordination with Pakistani forces. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, US and Afghan commandos made a series of mistakes on 26 November.

They incorrectly concluded there were no Pakistani forces in the Afghan border area where the coalition was conducting an operation - which cleared the way for a Nato air strike that devastated Pakistani positions.

After the initial strike, the US compounded its mistake by providing inaccurate data to a Pakistani military representative at the border co-ordination centre, missing an opportunity to stop the fighting.

Read details at BBC News Asia

Read more »

Congressman Kucinich: US should apologise to Pakistan

[ The Express Tribune ] 7 Dec

United States Congressman from Ohio has called on his government to apologise to Pakistan, and for NATO to pay compensation to the families of 24 soldiers killed in a NATO air strike on a Pakistani border check post on November 26.

Funeral ceremony of Pakistani soldiers killed in NATO attack 26 Nov

Speaking at an event organised by the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich, a Democrat, said relations with Pakistan was a critical issue. “We need to apologies to the people of Pakistan, NATO must pay reparations to the families of the soldiers.”

Read more »

Fear of ‘farce’ looms over Afghanistan Conference

[ Pakistan Today ] 3 Dec

While the Bonn Conference is all set to take place Monday, Pakistan's absence may be felt badly. “If they (Pakistan) stick with their decision to cancel it would be a setback,” the conference’s host, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, admitted after Islamabad pulled out in the wake of Saturday’s airstrikes that killed 24 troops.

Wide spread protests continue in Pakistan over NATO's attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers (Photo: CS Monitor)

The meeting will bring 100 national delegations to the western German city of Bonn to seek to chart a course for Afghanistan after NATO troops pull out in 2014 but a boycott by the government has dealt a stinging blow to hopes for a road-map.

Read more »

"Strike without permission" Pakistan Army Chief tells troops

Pakistan Today 2 Dec

As an aftermath of NATO's strike on two Pakistani Posts Saturday and killing 24 soldiers, including a captain and a major, the Pakistan army Chief has ordered its troops to respond to any such incident in future without awaiting order from the higher chain of command.

Screen shots from a video of the Pakistan Army posts attacked by NATO Saturday

“The decision has been made owing to the breaking down of the communication system as result of the NATO strike on the Pakistani border post in Mohmand Agency,” an official said.

The attack by NATO on Saturday, which is dubbed as “intentional and deliberate” by the civilian and military leadership, has led to great anguish and anger among the ranks of the armed forces.

Read more »