2011 NATO attack in Pakistan
Encyclopedia
The 2011 NATO attack in Pakistan occurred when U.S.-led NATO forces fired on at Pakistani forces at two Pakistani checkposts along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border
on Saturday, 26 November 2011. At issue is whether the NATO forces were responding to an attack on themselves or initiating an attack of their own.
Two NATO Apache helicopters an AC-130 gunship and an unknown number of jet fighters entered by varying estimates as little as 200 meters to up to 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles), into the Pakistani border area of Salala
in the Baizai subdivision of Mohmand Agency
, FATA
, from across the border in Afghanistan
where they opened fire at two border patrol checkposts, killing up to 24 Pakistani soldiers and wounding 13 others. The two Pakistan Army checkposts are Chaman and Torkham; Torkham is on the road between Peshawar
and Jalalabad
at the Khyber Pass.
Afghan officials working in the border area where the attack took place claimed the day following the incident that a joint U.S.–Afghan force was targeting Afghan Taliban forces in the area when it received fire from a Pakistan military outpost along the border. That is when helicopters were called in for support. The incident caused outrage in Pakistan, which termed the attack an "unprovoked and indiscriminate firing," an "irresponsible act," and a "stark violation" of its sovereignty. Pakistan's military also rejected claims of any firing having taken place, saying that the soldiers who were manning the post were actually asleep and resting when NATO launched the assault at night and claimed that the attack continued for two hours, even after Pakistani officials alerted coalition forces to stop.
In a reprisal, the government of Pakistan
ordered the closure of the NATO supply lines to Afghanistan and gave the United States an ultimatum of 15 days to vacate the Shamsi Airfield
, which the U.S. reportedly uses for launching drone attacks. The commander of the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF), General John R. Allen
, presented condolences to the family members and loved ones of the dead soldiers and ordered a "thorough investigation" into the matter. NATO apologised for the attack, and though the US has expressed regret, it has refused to apologize.
(1:30 am in Afghanistan), two NATO Apache helicopters, according to Pakistani sources, flew from 200 meters to 2.5-kilometers across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border
in the Salala area of the Baizai subdivision of the Mohmand tribal region in FATA, Pakistan. The helicopters opened fire at two Pakistani border checkposts about one km apart on the Salala mountain top. The posts were also attacked by an AC-130 gunship and an unknown number of fighter jets.
The attack caused the deaths of up to 24 Pakistani soldiers, which included two officers – Major Mujahid Hussain and Captain
Usman Ali. Thirteen other soldiers were injured in the attack. According to the initial statements issued by the Pakistan army
, there were about 40 soldiers present at the two check posts when the raid took place, and most of them were sleeping or resting.
The helicopters first attacked the border post atop the mountain peak named "Volcano". The initial attack cut all the communications at the borderpost. In response, another nearby borderpost named "Boulder" engaged the helicopters with anti-aircraft guns.
Pakistani authorities tried to contact their NATO counterparts in an effort to inform them of the situation but the Pakistani request did not immediately reach the attacking force. The helicopters returned a second time engaging Boulder border post again. A short while later communications with the NATO commanders was made and the attack was called off. All the casualties were from the initial attack on the Volcano border post.
Both sides reported they were attacked first. The poorly defined border, as well as a history of Taliban fighters moving around the border region were cited by the media as possible contributing factors to the incident.
.
"There was firing coming from the position against Afghan army soldiers who requested support and this is what happened", said one Afghan official in Kabul. The official said the government believed that the fire came from the Pakistani base – and not from insurgents operating nearby. That view was bolstered by one Western official who discussed the attack with military officials in Kabul the day after the incident. "They were fired on from a Pakistani army base", the Western official in Kabul said. "It was a defensive action." Afghan officials say they then called in an airstrike against incoming fire.
A US official in Kabul said Taliban insurgents may have been firing into Afghanistan near the Pakistani border outpost Saturday morning, which prompted coalition forces to strike back. He pointed to an incident in September 2010, when a NATO helicopter fired on a Pakistan outpost, killing two soldiers. "It was a situation where insurgent forces butted right up against a Pakistani border post and used that as a firing position. When we fired back, we hit Pakistani security forces. This is a possibility we're circulating here for Saturday's incident", the official said. Military officials in Kabul said insurgents in Pakistan have also used empty Pakistan border bases to stage attacks, which may have been the working assumption of the coalition forces who called in the airstrike."
Athar Abbas
, spokesperson of Inter Services Public Relations
(ISPR), said that the coordinates of the two border posts had been given to ISAF. He added that the attack lasted for almost two hours and claimed that the personnel on the posts alerted the GHQ which in turn immediately informed ISAF regional base in Afghanistan to stop the attack at roughly 12:30 AM but they did not. GHQ in return gave permission to the personnel on the outposts to retaliate. NATO communicated at roughly 1:15 AM that they had realized that they were attacking Pakistan Army and that their forces had been ordered to stop. Yet NATO's aerial bombardment continued with another salvo aiming at the Pakistani rescue force that rushed to the aid of the two posts. Pakistan termed the event an "unprovoked and indiscriminate firing", an "irresponsible act", and a "stark violation" of its sovereignty. Abbas also said "Nato forces should present proof if they claim that firing was started from Pakistani side. No fire was opened from our side." The attack was the deadliest NATO strike on Pakistani soil since the start of the war in Afghanistan. Pakistan slammed NATO's version of events, calling them "lame excuses".
In Media conference with Director General Military Operations Maj. General Isfhaq and Chief of General Staff Lt. General Waheed Arshad
, claimed that this cannot be an "unintended" incident. On accounts of series of events he commented that NATO was informed at the time of attack but their helicopters remained on course of aggression. Pakistani military also said that the NATO forces returned second time to attack the post again. When he was asked whether Pakistan was satisfied with the investigating team headed under US Air force Brigadier General Stephon, he responded sharply by commenting that all incidents in past in relation to violation of Pakistan's sovereignty did not come to an agreeable conclusion.
Military observers at Islamabad
claim that the attack was carried out by NATO to rescue Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) militants who were encircled by Pakistani forces and soon to be eliminated. These check posts were there to check them and prevent from crossing the border in to Pakistan. Afghan monitors also confirmed that at least two military officials deployed on the border, Brigadier General Aminullah Amarkhel and Colonel Numan Hatifi (of the 201st Silab Corps), have anti-Pakistan sentiments and links to anti-Pakistani elements.
, from where the drone attacks in Pakistan
are reportedly launched by U.S. forces, within a time frame of 15 days. The incident caused a further deterioration in the already strained relations between Pakistan and the US.
Among the immediate repercussions of the incident is that the United States' attempts to end the war in Afghanistan peacefully may now be in jeopardy. Some Pakistani officials warned that the attack will have "huge implications" for the Afghan endgame. Pakistan, which is seen as a key facilitator in bringing the United States to the negotiations table with the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network
, has already halted those efforts according to an unnamed Pakistani official close to the military establishment. The government has decided that it would not attend the Bonn Conference
in December, which is an important international conference on Afghanistan. Pakistan has also strengthened its air defenses and surveillance along the Afghanistan border in order to respond in case of any future incursions.
On 29 November 2011 a Nato outpost in eastern Afghanistan was attacked by insurgents some from across the border in Pakistan.
reassessing its diplomatic, political, military and intelligence relationship with the United States.
Cameron Munter
in Islamabad following the attack. In an official phone call to the United States, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar
said: "Such attacks ... demonstrate complete disregard for international law and human life, and are in stark violation of Pakistani sovereignty."
Retired Brigadier Mahmood Shah, former chief of security in the tribal areas, said that so far the U.S. has blamed Pakistan for all that is happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan's point of view has not been shown in the international media, so the matter should be taken up by the United Nations Security Council
. He advised Pakistani authorities to shoot down NATO aircraft should a similar event take place in the future, and to keep the supply lines closed, on the argument that the U.S. cannot afford a war with Pakistan. The Inter Services Public Relations
(ISPR), a media wing of the Pakistani military, released a statement calling the attack unprovoked and said that chief of army staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
had called the incident unacceptable and "directed that all necessary steps be under taken for an effective response to this irresponsible act". One senior Pakistani military official said "the latest attack by NATO forces on our post will have serious repercussions as they, without any reasons, attacked on our post and killed soldiers asleep."
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik
commented on the issue clarifying that the supply lines have not been suspended, rather been permanently shut down and the trucks would not be allowed to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The televised funeral ceremony of the soldiers who died was held in Peshawar
and was attended by several high-level military and political figures, including the Chief of Army Staff. Afterwards, their bodies were dispatched to their native towns for burial. The soldiers hailed from various cities, including three from Azad Kashmir
alone, while the Major was from Larkana
and the Captain from Sahiwal
. Family members of Major Mujahid Hussain and Captain Usman Ali said the soldiers "sacrificed their lives" for the country and that they were proud of those sacrifices. The Army Chief later also paid a visit to the injured soldiers, who had been transported to the Combined Military Hospital
(CMH) in Peshawar.
On 28 November 2011, Pakistani Prime Minister announced that there would be no more business with US and the relations between the two countries would never be the same again. Later Director General of ISPR
, Major General
Athar Abbas
, announced that NATO's apology was not accepted and this attack would lead to serious consequences.
He said that NATO’s regret over the attack was not enough and such incidents had happened in the past which killed 72 soldiers and injured more than 250 troops in three years. While addressing a gathering of journalists at a military headquarters, Pakistan Army Major-General Ishfaq Nadeem described the Salala incident as a "deliberate act of aggression" and said it was "next to impossible" that NATO did not know they were attacking Pakistani forces.
The next day, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Hussain Haroon
wrote to a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
to inform him of the situation and requested that the statement be forwarded to the 193-nation general assembly
and the 15-nation security council
(UNSC) as a document of UNSC
.
, a popular opposition politician and former cricketer
who has been a long-time staunch critic of the government's foreign policy and its decision to join the American-led War on Terror, called the attack unpardonable during a political rally in Multan
, and said the Pakistani government had wasted $70 billion belonging to the Pakistani people, as well as the lives of 40,000 people, on fighting a counterproductive American war: "I know that the government will not do anything except issue some silly comments against brutality even after this attack. I do not issue comments, I believe in taking action." An Awami National Party
politician and senator called the incident a terrorist attack. Awami Muslim League
party leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed supported a blockade of NATO supplies "to teach an unforgettable lesson to USA and NATO forces for violating Pakistani soil." MQM
chief Altaf Hussain
condemned the attack and directed his party to observe a "Stability and Solidarity Day". Many other leaders also called on the government to pull out of the Afghanistan war and disassociate itself from the U.S. alliance. The JUI
called the attack a shameful incident and "a slap across the face of Pakistani foreign policy" adopted by rulers who "always bow before their foreign masters." Protesters affiliated with the right-wing Jamaat-ud-Dawa held a rally outside the Lahore Press Club
where they urged the Pakistan Army
to give a "befitting response" to NATO; the leader of the party said "We have to eliminate all stations and bases given to the CIA if we want to end terrorism in Pakistan".
and plan a tit-for-tat military retaliation. Some locals in the tribal agencies demanded those who carried out the attack to be handed over to Pakistan. Hundreds of people organised a gathering outside the American consulate in Karachi
to lodge a protest. Various lawyers' associations throughout the country boycotted their usual court proceedings and observed a strike to mark the day. Many university students also boycotted their classes to protest. Students in Peshawar
blocked a main road where they chanted "Quit the war on terror" and anti-American slogans. Some faculty members of the University of the Punjab
, the country's oldest university, passed a "resolution" in which they backed the Pakistan Army, stating that "Pakistan does not want war, but war is being imposed on it" and said the War on Terror was a "drama" staged by the "US elite" and a certain group of rich international bankers referred to as the "high cabal" by Winston Churchill
who wanted to establish a "world government". The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry
condemned the attack as well. Local television cable operators pulled out western channels such as BBC World News to deter what they called "anti-Pakistan bias" in the media.
released a statement in which it said that senior American officials had expressed their condolences to Pakistan and that the officials expressed "our desire to work together to determine what took place, and our commitment to the U.S.-Pakistan partnership which advances our shared interests, including fighting terrorism in the region". U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta
spoke to their Pakistani counterparts to give their "deepest condolences" in a joint statement and also supported a NATO investigation. The commander of the International Security Assistance Force
is "personally paying the highest attention" to the matter. The Obama administration pledged cooperation with Pakistan and ordered a full investigation and inquiry to be conducted into the attack.
A NATO spokesman said that NATO "regrets the loss of life of any Pakistani servicemen".
On 27 November 2011, NATO issued an apology for what it called a "tragic unintended incident". In addition, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen is reported to have written to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani commenting that "the deaths of Pakistani personnel are as unacceptable and deplorable as the deaths of Afghan and international personnel". "We have a joint interest in the fight against cross-border terrorism and in ensuring that Afghanistan does not once again become a safe haven for terrorists," Rasmussen was quoted as saying.
The US Chief of Army Staff, General Martin Dempsey
said Pakistan's anger was justified as it had a reason to be furious given the loss of life. However, Dempsey did not apologize, saying he did not know enough about the incident and an inquiry was still being conducted. A senior advisor to Afghan President Hamid Karzai
warned that Pakistan and Afghanistan may be on a course toward military conflict. Hamid Karzai contacted the Pakistani Prime Minister to discuss the NATO strike and gave his condolences over the deaths of soldiers.
held a 40-minute telephone conversation with the Pakistani foreign affairs minister and released a statement afterwards in which it expressed China had "strong concerns" and was "deeply shocked" over the attack and maintained that "Pakistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected."
of Portugal, submitted Mr. Haroon
’s letter for their information as well as the DCC statement, to be issued as a document of the UNSC. UN is still awaited for further comments.
that the prevailing public outrage may force the government, and the army to take some decisive measures against the United States.
Australian analyst Brian Cloughley said the attack would have severe consequences: "This is quite outrageous and I have no doubt it signifies the end of the last lingering shreds of trust that the Pakistani army had for the U.S.". According to Coughley, the USAF had full knowledge of the locations of Pakistani border posts, and thus there was no excuse for this incident.
An article from the Asia Times
by M K Bhadrakumar explains that US should learn from its experience with Iran. It has no answer to a resolute nation in its will to put up against an enemy and Pakistan is going to give a "Persian response" this time if the intention was to sledgehammer its army. According to Bhadrakumar, Pakistan's calculated response following the attack stops short of directly terminating its participation in the war although in essence, this event may push Pakistan's army "within inches of doing that" in the long-term scenario.
An article published in People's Daily
, China's top state newspaper, accused the United States and NATO of flouting international law and fanning terrorism. A former spokesperson for the US state department said China, which is a close ally of Pakistan, "sees this as a target of opportunity, both to tweak the US and to subtly suggest to Pakistan that if it really sours of its relationship with the US, it has an alternative".
The Russia news has recently reported, with Pakistan being a nuclear country and China on its side, an attack from US is likely to start the World War III
.
Durand Line
The Durand Line refers to the porous international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has divided the ethnic Pashtuns . This poorly marked line is approximately long...
on Saturday, 26 November 2011. At issue is whether the NATO forces were responding to an attack on themselves or initiating an attack of their own.
Two NATO Apache helicopters an AC-130 gunship and an unknown number of jet fighters entered by varying estimates as little as 200 meters to up to 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles), into the Pakistani border area of Salala
Salala, Pakistan
Salala is a ridge in the Baizai subdivision of Mohmand Agency, FATA, Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan, at approximately 34.5 deg N, 71 deg E, 40 km west of the Mohmand capital of Ghallanai The ridge contains two Pakistani Frontier Corps checkpoints....
in the Baizai subdivision of Mohmand Agency
Mohmand Agency
The Mohmand Agency is a district in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan created in 1951. Before that, the Mohmand Tribes were administered by the Deputy Commissioner based in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. However it was not until 1973 that the headquarters of...
, FATA
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
, from across the border in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
where they opened fire at two border patrol checkposts, killing up to 24 Pakistani soldiers and wounding 13 others. The two Pakistan Army checkposts are Chaman and Torkham; Torkham is on the road between Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
and Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
at the Khyber Pass.
Afghan officials working in the border area where the attack took place claimed the day following the incident that a joint U.S.–Afghan force was targeting Afghan Taliban forces in the area when it received fire from a Pakistan military outpost along the border. That is when helicopters were called in for support. The incident caused outrage in Pakistan, which termed the attack an "unprovoked and indiscriminate firing," an "irresponsible act," and a "stark violation" of its sovereignty. Pakistan's military also rejected claims of any firing having taken place, saying that the soldiers who were manning the post were actually asleep and resting when NATO launched the assault at night and claimed that the attack continued for two hours, even after Pakistani officials alerted coalition forces to stop.
In a reprisal, the government of Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
ordered the closure of the NATO supply lines to Afghanistan and gave the United States an ultimatum of 15 days to vacate the Shamsi Airfield
Shamsi airfield
PAF Base Shamsi, also called Bandari is a Pakistan Air Force airbase located near Washki in the Balochistan province of Pakistan....
, which the U.S. reportedly uses for launching drone attacks. The commander of the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
(ISAF), General John R. Allen
John R. Allen
John R. Allen is a United States Marine Corps four-star general. On 18 July 2011, General Allen assumed command of International Security Assistance Force as Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan , succeeding Army General David Petraeus.-Education:John R. Allen attended The Flint Hill School in...
, presented condolences to the family members and loved ones of the dead soldiers and ordered a "thorough investigation" into the matter. NATO apologised for the attack, and though the US has expressed regret, it has refused to apologize.
The incident
On 26 November 2011, at 2 AM local timePakistan Standard Time
Pakistan Time is the time zone for Pakistan. It is 5 hours ahead of GMT/UTC .The only tz database zone is Asia/Karachi.-History:The current Pakistan time was set up at midnight between 29 September and 30 1951...
(1:30 am in Afghanistan), two NATO Apache helicopters, according to Pakistani sources, flew from 200 meters to 2.5-kilometers across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border
Durand Line
The Durand Line refers to the porous international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has divided the ethnic Pashtuns . This poorly marked line is approximately long...
in the Salala area of the Baizai subdivision of the Mohmand tribal region in FATA, Pakistan. The helicopters opened fire at two Pakistani border checkposts about one km apart on the Salala mountain top. The posts were also attacked by an AC-130 gunship and an unknown number of fighter jets.
The attack caused the deaths of up to 24 Pakistani soldiers, which included two officers – Major Mujahid Hussain and Captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
Usman Ali. Thirteen other soldiers were injured in the attack. According to the initial statements issued by the Pakistan army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
, there were about 40 soldiers present at the two check posts when the raid took place, and most of them were sleeping or resting.
The helicopters first attacked the border post atop the mountain peak named "Volcano". The initial attack cut all the communications at the borderpost. In response, another nearby borderpost named "Boulder" engaged the helicopters with anti-aircraft guns.
Pakistani authorities tried to contact their NATO counterparts in an effort to inform them of the situation but the Pakistani request did not immediately reach the attacking force. The helicopters returned a second time engaging Boulder border post again. A short while later communications with the NATO commanders was made and the attack was called off. All the casualties were from the initial attack on the Volcano border post.
Both sides reported they were attacked first. The poorly defined border, as well as a history of Taliban fighters moving around the border region were cited by the media as possible contributing factors to the incident.
US-Afghan claims
According to Afghan and U.S. officials, the incident started after a US-Afghan ground force drew fire from positions within Pakistan during an operation against the Taliban in Afghanistan's border area of Kunar ProvinceKunar Province
Kunar is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. It is one of the four "N2KL" provinces...
.
"There was firing coming from the position against Afghan army soldiers who requested support and this is what happened", said one Afghan official in Kabul. The official said the government believed that the fire came from the Pakistani base – and not from insurgents operating nearby. That view was bolstered by one Western official who discussed the attack with military officials in Kabul the day after the incident. "They were fired on from a Pakistani army base", the Western official in Kabul said. "It was a defensive action." Afghan officials say they then called in an airstrike against incoming fire.
A US official in Kabul said Taliban insurgents may have been firing into Afghanistan near the Pakistani border outpost Saturday morning, which prompted coalition forces to strike back. He pointed to an incident in September 2010, when a NATO helicopter fired on a Pakistan outpost, killing two soldiers. "It was a situation where insurgent forces butted right up against a Pakistani border post and used that as a firing position. When we fired back, we hit Pakistani security forces. This is a possibility we're circulating here for Saturday's incident", the official said. Military officials in Kabul said insurgents in Pakistan have also used empty Pakistan border bases to stage attacks, which may have been the working assumption of the coalition forces who called in the airstrike."
Pakistani claims
According to local officials, there was no militant activity along the Afghan border region when NATO conducted the attack. In addition, Pakistan's accounts contradict NATO claims of having been fired upon first, saying the soldiers who were manning the posts were asleep or resting when NATO launched the assault in the night. Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Athar Abbas
Athar Abbas
Major General Athar Abbas is a two-star general and the current military spokesperson for the Pakistan Defence Forces who replaced Major General Waheed Arshad as the new Director General of Inter Services Public Relations on January 14, 2008....
, spokesperson of Inter Services Public Relations
Inter Services Public Relations
Inter Services Public Relations is an administrative military organization within the Pakistan Defence Forces that coordinates military information with the media and the civil society...
(ISPR), said that the coordinates of the two border posts had been given to ISAF. He added that the attack lasted for almost two hours and claimed that the personnel on the posts alerted the GHQ which in turn immediately informed ISAF regional base in Afghanistan to stop the attack at roughly 12:30 AM but they did not. GHQ in return gave permission to the personnel on the outposts to retaliate. NATO communicated at roughly 1:15 AM that they had realized that they were attacking Pakistan Army and that their forces had been ordered to stop. Yet NATO's aerial bombardment continued with another salvo aiming at the Pakistani rescue force that rushed to the aid of the two posts. Pakistan termed the event an "unprovoked and indiscriminate firing", an "irresponsible act", and a "stark violation" of its sovereignty. Abbas also said "Nato forces should present proof if they claim that firing was started from Pakistani side. No fire was opened from our side." The attack was the deadliest NATO strike on Pakistani soil since the start of the war in Afghanistan. Pakistan slammed NATO's version of events, calling them "lame excuses".
In Media conference with Director General Military Operations Maj. General Isfhaq and Chief of General Staff Lt. General Waheed Arshad
Waheed Arshad
Lieutenant General Waheed Arshad, HI, TBt, afwc, fsc, psc, is a three-star general in the Pakistan Army who is currently serving as the Chief of General Staff at the General Headquarters. His previous appointments at the GHQ include; IG Training and Evaluation , Vice Chief of General Staff and DG...
, claimed that this cannot be an "unintended" incident. On accounts of series of events he commented that NATO was informed at the time of attack but their helicopters remained on course of aggression. Pakistani military also said that the NATO forces returned second time to attack the post again. When he was asked whether Pakistan was satisfied with the investigating team headed under US Air force Brigadier General Stephon, he responded sharply by commenting that all incidents in past in relation to violation of Pakistan's sovereignty did not come to an agreeable conclusion.
Military observers at Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
claim that the attack was carried out by NATO to rescue Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) militants who were encircled by Pakistani forces and soon to be eliminated. These check posts were there to check them and prevent from crossing the border in to Pakistan. Afghan monitors also confirmed that at least two military officials deployed on the border, Brigadier General Aminullah Amarkhel and Colonel Numan Hatifi (of the 201st Silab Corps), have anti-Pakistan sentiments and links to anti-Pakistani elements.
Repercussions of the incident
Pakistan immediately closed all NATO supplies to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the attack, leaving the blockaded supply trucks vulnerable to attacks by Tehrik-i-Taliban militants. NATO trucks had been using the supply routes, in Khyber Agency and Balochistan, to supply U.S. and international forces fighting in Afghanistan. On 26 November, the same day of the incident, Pakistan also ordered the U.S. to shut down and vacate Shamsi AirfieldShamsi airfield
PAF Base Shamsi, also called Bandari is a Pakistan Air Force airbase located near Washki in the Balochistan province of Pakistan....
, from where the drone attacks in Pakistan
Drone attacks in Pakistan
The United States government, led by the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division, has made a series of attacks on targets in northwest Pakistan since 2004 using drones . These attacks are part of the US' War on Terrorism campaign, seeking to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants...
are reportedly launched by U.S. forces, within a time frame of 15 days. The incident caused a further deterioration in the already strained relations between Pakistan and the US.
Among the immediate repercussions of the incident is that the United States' attempts to end the war in Afghanistan peacefully may now be in jeopardy. Some Pakistani officials warned that the attack will have "huge implications" for the Afghan endgame. Pakistan, which is seen as a key facilitator in bringing the United States to the negotiations table with the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network
Haqqani network
The Haqqani Network is an insurgent group fighting against US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan. Originating from Afghanistan during the mid-1970s, it was nurtured by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence during the 1980s Soviet war in...
, has already halted those efforts according to an unnamed Pakistani official close to the military establishment. The government has decided that it would not attend the Bonn Conference
International Conference on Afghanistan, Bonn (2011)
The International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn, Germany, will take place on 5 December 2011. The conference will be hosted by Germany and chaired by Afghanistan....
in December, which is an important international conference on Afghanistan. Pakistan has also strengthened its air defenses and surveillance along the Afghanistan border in order to respond in case of any future incursions.
On 29 November 2011 a Nato outpost in eastern Afghanistan was attacked by insurgents some from across the border in Pakistan.
Reaction
The already frayed relations between Pakistan and United States have fallen to a new low after the event with the Pakistani government and military establishmentEstablishment (Pakistan)
The Establishment is a term used commonly by Pakistani political scientists and also by political scholars and analysts around the world for the powerful military-dominant oligarchy in Pakistan...
reassessing its diplomatic, political, military and intelligence relationship with the United States.
Government and military
The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan promptly summoned U.S. ambassadorUnited States Ambassador to Pakistan
The U.S. embassy in Karachi was established August 15, 1947 with Edward W. Holmes as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, pending the appointment of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Paul H. Alling, was appointed on September 20, 1947. Anne W. Patterson was nominated as United States Ambassador to...
Cameron Munter
Cameron Munter
Cameron Phelps Munter is a United States diplomat and career foreign service officer. He is the Ambassador to Pakistan. Earlier, he was an advisor for political and military issues to Christopher R...
in Islamabad following the attack. In an official phone call to the United States, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar
Hina Rabbani Khar
Hina Rabbani Khar is a Pakistani politician and the current Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Appointed in July of 2011, she is the first female and the youngest person to ever head Pakistani's Ministry of Foreign Affairs....
said: "Such attacks ... demonstrate complete disregard for international law and human life, and are in stark violation of Pakistani sovereignty."
Retired Brigadier Mahmood Shah, former chief of security in the tribal areas, said that so far the U.S. has blamed Pakistan for all that is happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan's point of view has not been shown in the international media, so the matter should be taken up by the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
. He advised Pakistani authorities to shoot down NATO aircraft should a similar event take place in the future, and to keep the supply lines closed, on the argument that the U.S. cannot afford a war with Pakistan. The Inter Services Public Relations
Inter Services Public Relations
Inter Services Public Relations is an administrative military organization within the Pakistan Defence Forces that coordinates military information with the media and the civil society...
(ISPR), a media wing of the Pakistani military, released a statement calling the attack unprovoked and said that chief of army staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, NI, HI is a four-star general in the Pakistan Army, and the current Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army. He replaced General Pervez Musharraf as the Chief of Army Staff and the commandant of the army on November 29, 2007...
had called the incident unacceptable and "directed that all necessary steps be under taken for an effective response to this irresponsible act". One senior Pakistani military official said "the latest attack by NATO forces on our post will have serious repercussions as they, without any reasons, attacked on our post and killed soldiers asleep."
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik
Rehman Malik
27 April 2009 He has been the interior adviser since 27 March 2008.Senator A. Rehman Malik is a Pakistani politician, member of the Senate of Pakistan, and the current Interior Minister of Pakistan under the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani administration. His Second name is Shetan Malik and he...
commented on the issue clarifying that the supply lines have not been suspended, rather been permanently shut down and the trucks would not be allowed to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The televised funeral ceremony of the soldiers who died was held in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
and was attended by several high-level military and political figures, including the Chief of Army Staff. Afterwards, their bodies were dispatched to their native towns for burial. The soldiers hailed from various cities, including three from Azad Kashmir
Azad Kashmir
Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...
alone, while the Major was from Larkana
Larkana
Larkana or Larkano is the fourth largest city in the north-western part of Sindh Province, Pakistan, and is located within Larkana District.The old name of larkano is chandka which was changed in 1901. In August 2000 Larkana celebrated its hundred years of existence...
and the Captain from Sahiwal
Sahiwal
Sahiwal is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the administrative centre of Sahiwal District and Sahiwal Division. Sahiwal is approximately 180 km from the major city Lahore and is the city between Lahore and Multan...
. Family members of Major Mujahid Hussain and Captain Usman Ali said the soldiers "sacrificed their lives" for the country and that they were proud of those sacrifices. The Army Chief later also paid a visit to the injured soldiers, who had been transported to the Combined Military Hospital
Combined Military Hospital
Combined Military Hospitals are base hospitals of Pakistan Armed Forces situated in various cantonments. These hospitals are run by the doctors of Pakistan's Army Medical Corps....
(CMH) in Peshawar.
On 28 November 2011, Pakistani Prime Minister announced that there would be no more business with US and the relations between the two countries would never be the same again. Later Director General of ISPR
Inter Services Public Relations
Inter Services Public Relations is an administrative military organization within the Pakistan Defence Forces that coordinates military information with the media and the civil society...
, Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Athar Abbas
Athar Abbas
Major General Athar Abbas is a two-star general and the current military spokesperson for the Pakistan Defence Forces who replaced Major General Waheed Arshad as the new Director General of Inter Services Public Relations on January 14, 2008....
, announced that NATO's apology was not accepted and this attack would lead to serious consequences.
He said that NATO’s regret over the attack was not enough and such incidents had happened in the past which killed 72 soldiers and injured more than 250 troops in three years. While addressing a gathering of journalists at a military headquarters, Pakistan Army Major-General Ishfaq Nadeem described the Salala incident as a "deliberate act of aggression" and said it was "next to impossible" that NATO did not know they were attacking Pakistani forces.
The next day, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Hussain Haroon
Hussain Haroon
Abdullah Hussain Haroon is the current Pakistan Ambassador to the United Nations since September 2008. A scion of the Haroon family, he is a businessman, social activist and a former Sindh Assembly speaker who was a board member of various educational institutes, sports associations and charity...
wrote to a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
to inform him of the situation and requested that the statement be forwarded to the 193-nation general assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
and the 15-nation security council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
(UNSC) as a document of UNSC
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
.
Opposition political parties
A PML (N) politician remarked that the government's incompetence had allowed the attack to be carried out. Imran KhanImran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, a popular opposition politician and former cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who has been a long-time staunch critic of the government's foreign policy and its decision to join the American-led War on Terror, called the attack unpardonable during a political rally in Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, and said the Pakistani government had wasted $70 billion belonging to the Pakistani people, as well as the lives of 40,000 people, on fighting a counterproductive American war: "I know that the government will not do anything except issue some silly comments against brutality even after this attack. I do not issue comments, I believe in taking action." An Awami National Party
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
politician and senator called the incident a terrorist attack. Awami Muslim League
Awami Muslim League
Awami Muslim League Pakistan is a Pakistani political party formed in June 2008 by Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad.- NA-55 :This is a national assembly seat fought by Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of the Awami Muslim League Pakistan on February 24, 2010 but lost by a margin of more than 28000 votes...
party leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed supported a blockade of NATO supplies "to teach an unforgettable lesson to USA and NATO forces for violating Pakistani soil." MQM
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh...
chief Altaf Hussain
Altaf Hussain
Altaf Hussain is the founder and leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement . The MQM emerged as the third largest political party in the national assembly of Pakistan during 1988 and 1990 elections. The MQM secured representation in the parliamentary elections held in the northern areas of Pakistan...
condemned the attack and directed his party to observe a "Stability and Solidarity Day". Many other leaders also called on the government to pull out of the Afghanistan war and disassociate itself from the U.S. alliance. The JUI
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam is a political party in Pakistan. It formed a combined government in national elections in 2002 and 2008...
called the attack a shameful incident and "a slap across the face of Pakistani foreign policy" adopted by rulers who "always bow before their foreign masters." Protesters affiliated with the right-wing Jamaat-ud-Dawa held a rally outside the Lahore Press Club
Lahore Press Club
The Lahore Press Club , is an association of primarily news journalists, but also includes academics, business people and members of the public service in Lahore, Pakistan. The second biggest press club in the country , the LPC has a total membership of 923 and is well-known for its gatherings...
where they urged the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
to give a "befitting response" to NATO; the leader of the party said "We have to eliminate all stations and bases given to the CIA if we want to end terrorism in Pakistan".
Public and media
The attack caused widespread outrage among the civil society. Headlines in newspapers portrayed the incident as an act of war. Members of the public all over the country demanded an end to the US alliance and pressurized the government to pull out from the War on Terror, permanently halt all NATO supplies, expel American citizens in PakistanAmericans in Pakistan
Americans in Pakistan form a small expatriate community. According to early statistics of 1999 based on registrations with the local American embassy and consulates, there are between 4,000 and 5,000 Americans in the country, with 2,100 in Pakistan's financial capital Karachi, about 1,250 in...
and plan a tit-for-tat military retaliation. Some locals in the tribal agencies demanded those who carried out the attack to be handed over to Pakistan. Hundreds of people organised a gathering outside the American consulate in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
to lodge a protest. Various lawyers' associations throughout the country boycotted their usual court proceedings and observed a strike to mark the day. Many university students also boycotted their classes to protest. Students in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
blocked a main road where they chanted "Quit the war on terror" and anti-American slogans. Some faculty members of the University of the Punjab
University of the Punjab
University of the Punjab , colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The University of the Punjab is the oldest and biggest University of Pakistan. The University of the Punjab was formally established with the convening of the first meeting of its...
, the country's oldest university, passed a "resolution" in which they backed the Pakistan Army, stating that "Pakistan does not want war, but war is being imposed on it" and said the War on Terror was a "drama" staged by the "US elite" and a certain group of rich international bankers referred to as the "high cabal" by Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
who wanted to establish a "world government". The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Since its inception in 1950, the FPCCI has advocated and voiced the collective opinion, concern and aspiration of the private sector and offered helpful advice and solid assistance to the Government in its efforts to promote exports, encourage foreign investment and stimulate economic activity in...
condemned the attack as well. Local television cable operators pulled out western channels such as BBC World News to deter what they called "anti-Pakistan bias" in the media.
Reaction by the US and NATO
The White HouseWhite House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
released a statement in which it said that senior American officials had expressed their condolences to Pakistan and that the officials expressed "our desire to work together to determine what took place, and our commitment to the U.S.-Pakistan partnership which advances our shared interests, including fighting terrorism in the region". U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta
Leon Panetta
Leon Edward Panetta is the 23rd and current United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama since 2011. Prior to taking office, he served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency...
spoke to their Pakistani counterparts to give their "deepest condolences" in a joint statement and also supported a NATO investigation. The commander of the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
is "personally paying the highest attention" to the matter. The Obama administration pledged cooperation with Pakistan and ordered a full investigation and inquiry to be conducted into the attack.
A NATO spokesman said that NATO "regrets the loss of life of any Pakistani servicemen".
On 27 November 2011, NATO issued an apology for what it called a "tragic unintended incident". In addition, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen is reported to have written to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani commenting that "the deaths of Pakistani personnel are as unacceptable and deplorable as the deaths of Afghan and international personnel". "We have a joint interest in the fight against cross-border terrorism and in ensuring that Afghanistan does not once again become a safe haven for terrorists," Rasmussen was quoted as saying.
The US Chief of Army Staff, General Martin Dempsey
Martin Dempsey
General Martin E. Dempsey, USA is the 18th and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He previously served 149 days as the 37th Chief of Staff of the Army from April 11, 2011 to September 7, 2011. Prior to that, he served as Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command from...
said Pakistan's anger was justified as it had a reason to be furious given the loss of life. However, Dempsey did not apologize, saying he did not know enough about the incident and an inquiry was still being conducted. A senior advisor to Afghan President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
warned that Pakistan and Afghanistan may be on a course toward military conflict. Hamid Karzai contacted the Pakistani Prime Minister to discuss the NATO strike and gave his condolences over the deaths of soldiers.
By country
: The Chinese Ministry of Foreign AffairsMinistry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China is an executive agency responsible for foreign relations between the People's Republic of China and other countries in the world. The agency is led by the Foreign Minister. The current minister is Yang Jiechi...
held a 40-minute telephone conversation with the Pakistani foreign affairs minister and released a statement afterwards in which it expressed China had "strong concerns" and was "deeply shocked" over the attack and maintained that "Pakistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected."
- A spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry said France extended its condolences for the "tragic and regrettable events that led to the death of at least 26 Pakistani soldiers" and called for cooperation with the Pakistani government in addition to lending support for an inquiry into the facts behind the incident.
- Guido WesterwelleGuido WesterwelleGuido Westerwelle [] is a German liberal politician, who, since 28 October 2009, has been serving as the Foreign Minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and who was Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011. He is the first openly gay person to hold either of those positions...
, Foreign Minister of Germany, deplored the attack during a telephone call to Pakistan and said he supported an investigation into it. - Major General Mohammad Ali JafariMohammad Ali JafariGeneral Mohammad Ali Jafari is the commander of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution of Iran. He was appointed by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, on September 1, 2007, to succeed Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi....
, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards CorpsIslamic Revolutionary Guards CorpsThe Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution , often called Revolutionary Guards, is a branch of Iran's military, founded after the Iranian revolution...
, condemned the NATO air raid in a message to Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff: "There is no doubt that the horrible crime was in violation of international laws and regulations which once again unmasked the true face of the so-called advocates of peace and human rights". In addition, some 224 Iranian parliamentarians issued a joint statement in which they condemned the attack and encouraged Islamabad to show a "decisive move" to "prevent the United States’ future crimes and violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity". - The Russian foreign minister stated it is unacceptable to violate the sovereignty of a state, even when planning and carrying out counter-insurgent operations.
- The Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ahmet DavutoğluAhmet DavutogluProfessor Ahmet Davutoğlu is a Turkish political scientist, an academic and an ambassador. On May 1, 2009, he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey after being the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of Republic of Turkey.-Life and career:...
telephoned Pakistan and called the attack "unprovoked and totally unacceptable". Davutoğlu assured that as a member of NATO, Turkey will ask for an impartial inquiry into the attacks. He further added that the loss of the Pakistani soldiers was "as painful as losing Turkish soldiers". - Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates, arrived in Islamabad on an unannounced visit and requested President Asif Ali ZardariAsif Ali ZardariAsif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
to reconsider and withdraw Pakistan's deadline set for the U.S. to vacate the Shamsi Airbase. President Zardari is said to have rejected the request during the meeting, saying the decision was taken by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet and was in national interests. The Shamsi Airbase is believed to be under the control of the UAE, which leased it in the 1990s for facilitating visits of wealthy Arabs who used to visit Pakistan for falconry and hunting trips. The U.A.E. is reportedly the party which allowed the U.S. to use the air base.
Organisations
: The office of the Security Council’s President, Ambassador Jose Filipe Moraes CabralJosé Filipe Moraes Cabral
José Filipe Moraes Cabral is a Portuguese diplomat. He has been the Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations in New York since 2008....
of Portugal, submitted Mr. Haroon
Hussain Haroon
Abdullah Hussain Haroon is the current Pakistan Ambassador to the United Nations since September 2008. A scion of the Haroon family, he is a businessman, social activist and a former Sindh Assembly speaker who was a board member of various educational institutes, sports associations and charity...
’s letter for their information as well as the DCC statement, to be issued as a document of the UNSC. UN is still awaited for further comments.
- The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin IhsanogluEkmeleddin IhsanogluEkmeleddin İhsanoğlu is a Turkish academic, diplomat and currently the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations...
condemned the NATO attacks and gave his condolences to the relatives of the dead soldiers. Ihsanoglu said the attacks were a "serious violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and are totally unacceptable" and expressed solidarity with Pakistan. - Catherine Ashton offered her condolences for the deaths and said: "We underline the EU's commitment to continue its engagement with Pakistan in pursuit of the shared goals of promoting peace, security and prosperity. Pakistan is a vital partner in the region and has an essential role to play in the resolution of the Afghan conflict."
- Syed Ali Shah GeelaniSyed Ali Shah Geelani-Early life:Syed Geelani was born in a town called Zoorimunz, Bandipora, in North Kashmir. After his preliminary education in Sopore, he went on to graduate from the Oriental College in Lahore....
, leader of the separatist Tehreek-e-HurriyatTehreek-e-HurriyatTehreek-e-Hurriyat is one of the constituent parties of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. The party was founded on 7 August 2004 by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, for the "resolution of the Kashmir dispute"...
party in the disputed territory of Indian-administered Kashmir said during a telephone address that Pakistan was facing problems due to its alliance with the United States.
- The Tehrik-i-Taliban said NATO's attack on Pakistani check posts proved that the U.S. "can never be a friend of Pakistan" and said Pakistan should cut off ties with the country, in addition to taking revenge. A Taliban spokesperson maintained that no peace talks were being held with the government of Pakistan.
Third parties
John Rees, a British socialist political activist, called the NATO attack an "extremely dangerous incursion" and argued that the U.S. and its allies were creating instability in the nuclear-armed country. Ahmed Qureshi, an Islamabad-based analyst, said during the same interview with state-run Russia TodayRussia Today
Russia Today may refer to:* Russia Today, an English language 24-hour television news channel from Russia. It was launched in 2005 and is not related to an online news service of the similar name operated by EIN News...
that the prevailing public outrage may force the government, and the army to take some decisive measures against the United States.
Australian analyst Brian Cloughley said the attack would have severe consequences: "This is quite outrageous and I have no doubt it signifies the end of the last lingering shreds of trust that the Pakistani army had for the U.S.". According to Coughley, the USAF had full knowledge of the locations of Pakistani border posts, and thus there was no excuse for this incident.
An article from the Asia Times
Asia Times
Asia Times was a newspaper launched in Thailand by Thai tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul in 1995. The newspaper hired talent from around the world to produce a regional English-language newspaper....
by M K Bhadrakumar explains that US should learn from its experience with Iran. It has no answer to a resolute nation in its will to put up against an enemy and Pakistan is going to give a "Persian response" this time if the intention was to sledgehammer its army. According to Bhadrakumar, Pakistan's calculated response following the attack stops short of directly terminating its participation in the war although in essence, this event may push Pakistan's army "within inches of doing that" in the long-term scenario.
An article published in People's Daily
People's Daily
The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China , published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English,...
, China's top state newspaper, accused the United States and NATO of flouting international law and fanning terrorism. A former spokesperson for the US state department said China, which is a close ally of Pakistan, "sees this as a target of opportunity, both to tweak the US and to subtly suggest to Pakistan that if it really sours of its relationship with the US, it has an alternative".
The Russia news has recently reported, with Pakistan being a nuclear country and China on its side, an attack from US is likely to start the World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
.
See also
- Pakistan–United States relations
- Pakistan–United States skirmishes
- Drone attacks in PakistanDrone attacks in PakistanThe United States government, led by the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division, has made a series of attacks on targets in northwest Pakistan since 2004 using drones . These attacks are part of the US' War on Terrorism campaign, seeking to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants...
- War in Afghanistan (2001–present)War in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
- War in North-West PakistanWar in North-West PakistanThe War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistan Armed Forces and armed religious groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , Lashkar-e-Islam, TSNM, Arab and Central Asian militants including Al-Qaeda, regional armed movements and elements of organized crime.The armed...