Posted on 06/11/2008 7:37:50 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has expressed outrage at a U.S. airstrike in a disputed region along the Afghan border which it says killed 11 of its forces who were cooperating with the U.S.-led war on terror.
A Pakistani soldier patrols the mountain areas of the Pakistan and Afghanistan border in Mohmand.
The U.S. military has not released an official statement on the incident, but a U.S. official with knowledge of the reports told CNN that Tuesday's airstrike targeted suspected militants who had fled into Pakistan after conducting an ambush on the Afghan side of the border.
The official said Pakistani military officials worked with the U.S. forces to track the militants as they fled across the border into Pakistan. He said the mission was permitted under the rules of engagement which allowed "hot pursuit" across the border of suspected militants when locations were verified.
But Pakistan's military -- which described the airstrike as a "completely unprovoked and cowardly act" -- had a different account.
The top spokesman for Pakistan army's Gen. Athar Abbas told CNN the airstrike happened after U.S. forces were called in by Afghan troops who had engaged in a border clash with Taliban forces.
The Taliban forces fired on the Afghan troops as they tried to set up a checkpoint in a disputed area along the Afghan-Pakistan border, Abbas said.
The Afghan troops then called for help from the U.S.-led coalition forces, which carried out an airstrike on positions where Pakistani frontier corps forces were stationed, Abbas said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
CNN Report ping.
Enough of this playing for both teams BS. The Pakis need an ultimatum.
You take care of them... or we will.
fyi
MUSLIM Pakistan rilly, rilly, rilly is 100% on our side.
Rilly!
Where is Musharraf? Is anybody in charge?
God. Hopefully, if it was a screw-up by the Army won’t try a “Pat Tillman” cover-up.
***********************EXCERPT*********************
The unnamed U.S. official said it was not clear if the U.S. aircraft entered Pakistani airspace when they carried out the airstrikes. U.S. and Pakistani military officials tracked the militants as they fled into Pakistan and their location was verified by a U.S. drone flying overhead, he said.
Two U.S. Air Force F-15E aircraft dropped three 500-pound bombs and a single laser-guided bomb inside Pakistan, he said. Also, he said a B-1 bomber dropped six 500-pound bombs.
He added that U.S. ground forces inside Afghanistan also fired artillery toward the fleeing militants as they fled into Pakistan.
Earlier, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan said its forces were fired on near the border with Pakistan and they responded.
See #8...wow.
I’m probably wrong for thinking this but it seems to me that the Taliban guys were actually Pakistani troops...... it’s a known fact that there are extreme elements in the Pakistani military..... I think this may prove they are actively undermining their neighbor, Afghanistan.
They have been pretending to be an ally for a long time, but their actions speak for themselves.
That is exactly the issue. If Musharraf is out of the picture and no one is running the show, the radicals will get out of hand.
They are not an ally or is there just such division in a country that has been fractured?
A shakey alliance? Yes. But to say they are not an ally is pretty strong and damning.
Send McCain. He might do it. Or Obama. He's already threatened them.
Iraq? Certainly.
Pakistan? Yep.
Iran? By all means.
And while we're at it, start hitting the United States.
I suggest we start with Congress, and then begin going after every anti-American group in the country, including the enemy Democrat Party, the RINO Republican Party, and every other Anti American organization.
Rant /off
Apparently, they just received notice instead of an ultimatum.
No need for an ultimatum. Just do it. (And I think we are)
The Pak government is so weak that they aren’t going to do squat even if they agree to do fight the militants.
Worst case?
It will muddy the water a bit when Washington disappears.
Was it an Iranian nuke, or a Pakistani nuke?
Better take ‘em both out, just to be sure...
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