Posted on 11/05/2003 4:23:40 PM PST by milestogo
US jet’s firing on Pak territory
AN American fighter jet fired on Pakistan territory with machine-gun near Alwara Mandi, a mountainous area in North Waziristan Agency on Tuesday. There were, however, no reports of loss of life or damage to property as a result of the firing. Quoting Director General of ISPR, Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, PPI has reported that the area about 500 to 1000 metres inside the Pakistani territory was targeted.
This is not the first such incident of US warplanes firing and bombing of the Pakistan territory along the Pak-Afghan border. True that there is no loss of life or damage to property in Tuesday’s incident, but there have been casualties in the previous incidents of firing/bombing by the US warplanes. Invariably, however, the incidents are termed as stray firing/bombing, but there have been incidents in which Pakistani posts were deliberately targeted by the US warplanes. Irrespective of the pretexts, the fact is that the US warplanes are resorting to grave violation of Pakistan’s airspace. Washington had also launched cruise missile attack on Afghanistan across Pakistan from the sea near Karachi during Clinton’s presidency. It’s, however, unfortunate that our Government is not taking these incidents with the requisite seriousness. The US pilots, therefore, feel emboldened to violate Pakistan’s airspace with impunity. The situation calls for a dignified stand on the issue. The US Ambassador should be summoned to the Foreign Office and told in unambiguous terms that such incidents will not be tolerated in future. PAF should not hesitate to challenge and engage such stray aircraft to deal with them according to the internationally accepted norms and principles. The possibility of a major incident cannot be ruled out as a result of the so-called ‘stray’ firing/bombing of Pak territory if the US warplanes are not restrained from violating Pakistan’s airspace. At the same time, the pilots guilty of such violations deserve punishment. The US pilots cannot be allowed to act whimsically and impulsively and trample the sovereignty of the country, whose services in US war against terrorism are being eulogized day in and day out by the US leaders and officials from President Bush to Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca. Washington should not take Pakistan for granted and practically demonstrate respect for its sovereignty by taking stringent steps to curb the deplorable tendencies on the part of the American pilots. With the emerging situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States should learn to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries.
These guys need more gunnery practice. Missing the target is not an option!
Is this war on terror a damn joke designed to protect the FOB's or what?
Kind of like most of our border areas, huh?
Semper Fi
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