Pakistan and the United States: can not be friends
No sooner had “Voice of America” 29 in March to write about improving relations between the United States and Pakistan, as the Pakistani parliament extended the ban on the transportation of NATO military cargoes through Pakistan the next day. The reason for the refusal of friendship was another US Air Force rocket hunt for the Taliban, which ended on the night of March 29 with the death of four militants and the wounding of three more.
I. Washington killed, but did not apologize
The transit of NATO cargo through Pakistan was stopped after the incident on November 26, 2011, when as a result of the attack aviation NATO from Afghanistan at the border post in Pakistan killed 24 Pakistani army personnel.
It is believed that the tragic mistake of the military on the Afghan-Pakistani border was due to incorrect coordinates that American soldiers received. However, the Pakistani military was the first to fire, while the Americans self-defense. That was the conclusion of last December by a commission investigating the November 26 incident. According to the American commission, both sides are to blame, although the Pakistanis were the first to open fire at once from two border points that for some reason were not on NATO cards.
There was no apology from the US president. Quote from Interfax: “US President Barack Obama expressed regret about this, but did not bring any official apologies.”
The incident was re-investigated as requested by Pakistan. March 25 first brief information about its results appeared in the media. Apparently, there is no significant difference between the first and second commission reports.
The American side at the end of March, it was also announced that the US armed forces would not punish their soldiers who participated in the Pakistani border incident. Not even a disciplinary sanction is supposed, although the commission investigating the incident found that part of the blame still lies with the US military (this is about their excessive use of force).
Quote: “The investigation decided that the US military acted on the basis of the information they had and in self-defense after Pakistani soldiers opened fire on them at the border with Afghanistan. An anonymous source close to the investigation did not disclose the details of the acquittal ”(source: RBC).
A. Vishnevsky on this occasion gives the following information: "March 25 news agency The New York Times reported that the" full investigation "has been completed completely. The command of the US Armed Forces has decided to completely relieve its soldiers who were involved in the death of 24 Pakistanis from liability as a result of NATO air strikes. "We did not find any signs of criminal negligence in the actions of those involved in the incident," a senior official said to the publication. This is not to say that such a verdict is unexpected. To get even a symbolic jail sentence, a US Army soldier needs to do something completely out of the ordinary — for example, as Staff Sergeant Voutrich, shoot 24 civilians. However, such a decision of the military court may damage the interests of the US foreign affairs agency, because the Pakistani parliament categorically demands an official apology ”(source: Win.ru network intellectual club, Alexander Vishnevsky).
The United States has repeatedly expressed its desire to resume the transit of NATO cargo through Pakistani territory. It is not surprising: after all, two routes were transported through Pakistan to 40% of NATO cargo.
Pakistan also lost something: the economy immediately invaded politics. Quote:
“The Pakistani authorities, of course, have a certain interest in restoring this dialogue. To close the transit corridor and demand to leave the Shamsi airbase, which is the main base drones throughout the region, the US Congress responded with a bill ending a $700 million annual aid program for Pakistan. “I don't think it's a wise move. It could damage relations,” Salim Saifulla, spokesman for the Foreign Relations Committee of Pakistan’s upper house of parliament, said at the time.
Apparently, the loss of 700 millions of dollars seemed to the Pakistani leaders to be a rather convincing argument, and at the end of January a number of exchanges of reciprocal signals took place, from which it was possible to conclude that Pakistan agreed to the resumption of transit and material assistance. For example, if the entire cargo traffic through Pakistan is subject to duties and customs duties, which will additionally replenish the state treasury ”(source: Win.ru network intellectual club, Alexander Vishnevsky).
In recent weeks, it was a question of resuming transit, subject to a number of conditions observed by the Americans. The Parliamentary Committee of Pakistan, which oversees foreign policy and security issues and has worked on the 3 month’s list of conditions, eventually identified key points that could be followed by continued cooperation with NATO. The list included, among other things, a mandatory apologization by the United States to the Pakistani side for the November 26 helicopter attack on the Pakistani border checkpoint.
Here is an abbreviated list of key recommendations (a total of 35):
“1) a call for the United States to stop UAV strikes against Pakistani territory;
2) to apologize to Pakistan officially for the strike of NATO 26 aviation on November 2011 g .;
3) start charging transit fees for NATO supplies for its military forces in Afghanistan;
4) refrain from “hot pursuit” operations by US forces in Afghanistan on the territory of Pakistan;
5) increase the transparency of the activities of security contractors in Pakistan ”(source: Institute of the Middle East, V.I. Sotnikov).
These parliamentary recommendations have been brought to the attention of the American authorities. As for the ban on strikes of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the way V.I. Sotnikov“The US campaign to launch UAV missiles in the northwest of Pakistan’s territory turned out to be one of the most effective tools in its fight against global terrorism, according to Washington. In other words, the Americans consider “point” missile strikes at the shelters of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in the Pakistan-Afghan border area as the most effective means of eliminating the leaders of these terrorist groups when it is impossible to carry out the destruction of Osama bin Laden in May last year in Pakistan. American analysts point out that increasing the pace of UAV strikes from the middle of 2009 to 2011 led to the fact that Al-Qaida suffered sensitive damage. The US media reported in this connection that the documents found in Osama bin Laden’s asylum in Abbotabad testify that the late Al-Qaida leader was worried about the “devastating impact” of the American UAV campaign for his organization. ”
Newspaper "News" cites the following data: “Over the past eight years, 289 drone attacks have killed about 2223 representatives of the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations.”
“Al-Qaeda” does not like this, and “Ayman al-Zawahiri has already issued an appeal urging Pakistanis to join the Arab Spring and overthrow their government” (A. Vishnevsky).
Ii. Taliban warn: Parliamentary cooperation with NATO is dangerous to health
I do not like parliamentary softness and the Taliban. Quote:
“If the parliament decides to resume transit supplies for NATO, we will attack the parliamentarians,” said Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan ”(Gazeta.ru).
"Warning" information appeared in various 25 March media. At the same time, it became known about the issues of US Senator John McCain, famous for his belligerence:
"Pakistan's interdepartmental intelligence service (ISI) continues to help the Taliban militants and the Haqqani group," the commander-in-chief of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan told US senators.
To the question of Senator John McCain: “Do you see any changes in the relations between Pakistan’s intelligence services and the Taliban and the Haqqani group?” General John Allen replied: “I don’t see, sir.” The senator further stated that the corruption in the government of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s complicity with the Taliban are the main reasons why the US mission in Afghanistan was not very successful. General John Allen agreed with this statement, the Bakhtar news agency reported ("Afghanistan.ru").
And 27 March, it became known that the intelligence agency of Pakistan said "the termination of joint raids with US anti-terrorist units. According to the head of the intelligence service, all measures should be carried out by the security agencies of Pakistan "("News").
On the night of March 29, the following happened: “An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the US Air Force ... launched a rocket attack on a house in the town of Miransha of the Pakistani province of North Waziristan near the Pakistani-Afghan border. As a result, four militants were destroyed ”(Interfax).
Some of the details of the destruction of these fours are given by the Associated Press agency (in the newspaper Washington Post from 30 March). The AP, from Peshawar, reports that an American unmanned aircraft launched two missiles into a house in northwestern Pakistan early Friday morning. It is noted that this attack could "hinder American efforts to convince Pakistan to reopen its borders for the transit of goods destined for NATO troops in Afghanistan." The article points out that Washington hopes to re-start deliveries along the same routes, but the key requirement of the Pakistani parliament is that “attacks by American unmanned aircraft that are very unpopular in Pakistan due to the fact that many people believe that they mostly kill civilians must be stopped ... "
The Friday strike was intended to house in Miranshah - a city in North Waziristan, which serves as the main refuge for the Taliban and Al Qaeda militants. This was reported to the "AP" by Pakistani intelligence officials - subject to anonymity, since "they were not authorized to talk with the media." These representatives claim that four UAVs killed in the attack and three more wounded are from Uzbekistan. Identify them so far failed. During the stroke, they slept.
“The United States,” the article further stated, “rarely speaks publicly of a secret, CIA-controlled unmanned aircraft program in Pakistan, but representatives said confidentially that such attacks are a key component of America’s war against Islamist militants and that Taliban senior commanders were killed and al-qaida.
It is also indicated that since 2009, Barack Obama has intensified the UAV campaigns, with most of the attacks destined specifically for North Waziristan. “But the number of blows has decreased significantly in recent months — when relations between the United States and Pakistan have deteriorated.”
Finally, the AP’s material notes Pakistan’s alleged connection with both al-Qaida and the Taliban: “Pakistan has close historical ties to both groups, and US officials accuse Pakistan's Inter-Agency Intelligence (ISI) of continuing to provide them with support - a charge denied by Islamabad. ”
The result of the exchange of courtesies: “Pakistan’s 30 parliament in March 2012 extended the ban on the transit of NATO military cargo to Afghanistan by a majority vote. Lawmakers demanded that the US authorities stop the shelling of Pakistan’s territory and respect the sovereignty of the country, reports Xinhua (RBC).
But on the eve of March, 29, "Voice of America" rejoiced at the "improvement of bilateral relations" of the United States and Pakistan:
“High-level talks between Pakistani and US military officials in Islamabad and President Obama’s meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Reza Gilani at the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit earlier this week suggest that tensions between the two countries gradually weakens.
The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan stated that these negotiations and meetings set a good tone for the resumption of cooperation between the two countries and the opening of the NATO channels for the supply of troops in Afghanistan. ”
Thus, the logistics negotiations between NATO and Pakistan were at an impasse. America is not going to meet the conditions of Pakistan and still wants to bullet rockets wherever it wishes, and without apologies, and parliamentarians are afraid of the threats of the Taliban and the "Arab spring" from Al-Qaida. Economic considerations in this situation help a little.
I. Washington killed, but did not apologize
The transit of NATO cargo through Pakistan was stopped after the incident on November 26, 2011, when as a result of the attack aviation NATO from Afghanistan at the border post in Pakistan killed 24 Pakistani army personnel.
It is believed that the tragic mistake of the military on the Afghan-Pakistani border was due to incorrect coordinates that American soldiers received. However, the Pakistani military was the first to fire, while the Americans self-defense. That was the conclusion of last December by a commission investigating the November 26 incident. According to the American commission, both sides are to blame, although the Pakistanis were the first to open fire at once from two border points that for some reason were not on NATO cards.
There was no apology from the US president. Quote from Interfax: “US President Barack Obama expressed regret about this, but did not bring any official apologies.”
The incident was re-investigated as requested by Pakistan. March 25 first brief information about its results appeared in the media. Apparently, there is no significant difference between the first and second commission reports.
The American side at the end of March, it was also announced that the US armed forces would not punish their soldiers who participated in the Pakistani border incident. Not even a disciplinary sanction is supposed, although the commission investigating the incident found that part of the blame still lies with the US military (this is about their excessive use of force).
Quote: “The investigation decided that the US military acted on the basis of the information they had and in self-defense after Pakistani soldiers opened fire on them at the border with Afghanistan. An anonymous source close to the investigation did not disclose the details of the acquittal ”(source: RBC).
A. Vishnevsky on this occasion gives the following information: "March 25 news agency The New York Times reported that the" full investigation "has been completed completely. The command of the US Armed Forces has decided to completely relieve its soldiers who were involved in the death of 24 Pakistanis from liability as a result of NATO air strikes. "We did not find any signs of criminal negligence in the actions of those involved in the incident," a senior official said to the publication. This is not to say that such a verdict is unexpected. To get even a symbolic jail sentence, a US Army soldier needs to do something completely out of the ordinary — for example, as Staff Sergeant Voutrich, shoot 24 civilians. However, such a decision of the military court may damage the interests of the US foreign affairs agency, because the Pakistani parliament categorically demands an official apology ”(source: Win.ru network intellectual club, Alexander Vishnevsky).
The United States has repeatedly expressed its desire to resume the transit of NATO cargo through Pakistani territory. It is not surprising: after all, two routes were transported through Pakistan to 40% of NATO cargo.
Pakistan also lost something: the economy immediately invaded politics. Quote:
“The Pakistani authorities, of course, have a certain interest in restoring this dialogue. To close the transit corridor and demand to leave the Shamsi airbase, which is the main base drones throughout the region, the US Congress responded with a bill ending a $700 million annual aid program for Pakistan. “I don't think it's a wise move. It could damage relations,” Salim Saifulla, spokesman for the Foreign Relations Committee of Pakistan’s upper house of parliament, said at the time.
Apparently, the loss of 700 millions of dollars seemed to the Pakistani leaders to be a rather convincing argument, and at the end of January a number of exchanges of reciprocal signals took place, from which it was possible to conclude that Pakistan agreed to the resumption of transit and material assistance. For example, if the entire cargo traffic through Pakistan is subject to duties and customs duties, which will additionally replenish the state treasury ”(source: Win.ru network intellectual club, Alexander Vishnevsky).
In recent weeks, it was a question of resuming transit, subject to a number of conditions observed by the Americans. The Parliamentary Committee of Pakistan, which oversees foreign policy and security issues and has worked on the 3 month’s list of conditions, eventually identified key points that could be followed by continued cooperation with NATO. The list included, among other things, a mandatory apologization by the United States to the Pakistani side for the November 26 helicopter attack on the Pakistani border checkpoint.
Here is an abbreviated list of key recommendations (a total of 35):
“1) a call for the United States to stop UAV strikes against Pakistani territory;
2) to apologize to Pakistan officially for the strike of NATO 26 aviation on November 2011 g .;
3) start charging transit fees for NATO supplies for its military forces in Afghanistan;
4) refrain from “hot pursuit” operations by US forces in Afghanistan on the territory of Pakistan;
5) increase the transparency of the activities of security contractors in Pakistan ”(source: Institute of the Middle East, V.I. Sotnikov).
These parliamentary recommendations have been brought to the attention of the American authorities. As for the ban on strikes of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the way V.I. Sotnikov“The US campaign to launch UAV missiles in the northwest of Pakistan’s territory turned out to be one of the most effective tools in its fight against global terrorism, according to Washington. In other words, the Americans consider “point” missile strikes at the shelters of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in the Pakistan-Afghan border area as the most effective means of eliminating the leaders of these terrorist groups when it is impossible to carry out the destruction of Osama bin Laden in May last year in Pakistan. American analysts point out that increasing the pace of UAV strikes from the middle of 2009 to 2011 led to the fact that Al-Qaida suffered sensitive damage. The US media reported in this connection that the documents found in Osama bin Laden’s asylum in Abbotabad testify that the late Al-Qaida leader was worried about the “devastating impact” of the American UAV campaign for his organization. ”
Newspaper "News" cites the following data: “Over the past eight years, 289 drone attacks have killed about 2223 representatives of the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations.”
“Al-Qaeda” does not like this, and “Ayman al-Zawahiri has already issued an appeal urging Pakistanis to join the Arab Spring and overthrow their government” (A. Vishnevsky).
Ii. Taliban warn: Parliamentary cooperation with NATO is dangerous to health
I do not like parliamentary softness and the Taliban. Quote:
“If the parliament decides to resume transit supplies for NATO, we will attack the parliamentarians,” said Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan ”(Gazeta.ru).
"Warning" information appeared in various 25 March media. At the same time, it became known about the issues of US Senator John McCain, famous for his belligerence:
"Pakistan's interdepartmental intelligence service (ISI) continues to help the Taliban militants and the Haqqani group," the commander-in-chief of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan told US senators.
To the question of Senator John McCain: “Do you see any changes in the relations between Pakistan’s intelligence services and the Taliban and the Haqqani group?” General John Allen replied: “I don’t see, sir.” The senator further stated that the corruption in the government of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s complicity with the Taliban are the main reasons why the US mission in Afghanistan was not very successful. General John Allen agreed with this statement, the Bakhtar news agency reported ("Afghanistan.ru").
And 27 March, it became known that the intelligence agency of Pakistan said "the termination of joint raids with US anti-terrorist units. According to the head of the intelligence service, all measures should be carried out by the security agencies of Pakistan "("News").
On the night of March 29, the following happened: “An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the US Air Force ... launched a rocket attack on a house in the town of Miransha of the Pakistani province of North Waziristan near the Pakistani-Afghan border. As a result, four militants were destroyed ”(Interfax).
Some of the details of the destruction of these fours are given by the Associated Press agency (in the newspaper Washington Post from 30 March). The AP, from Peshawar, reports that an American unmanned aircraft launched two missiles into a house in northwestern Pakistan early Friday morning. It is noted that this attack could "hinder American efforts to convince Pakistan to reopen its borders for the transit of goods destined for NATO troops in Afghanistan." The article points out that Washington hopes to re-start deliveries along the same routes, but the key requirement of the Pakistani parliament is that “attacks by American unmanned aircraft that are very unpopular in Pakistan due to the fact that many people believe that they mostly kill civilians must be stopped ... "
The Friday strike was intended to house in Miranshah - a city in North Waziristan, which serves as the main refuge for the Taliban and Al Qaeda militants. This was reported to the "AP" by Pakistani intelligence officials - subject to anonymity, since "they were not authorized to talk with the media." These representatives claim that four UAVs killed in the attack and three more wounded are from Uzbekistan. Identify them so far failed. During the stroke, they slept.
“The United States,” the article further stated, “rarely speaks publicly of a secret, CIA-controlled unmanned aircraft program in Pakistan, but representatives said confidentially that such attacks are a key component of America’s war against Islamist militants and that Taliban senior commanders were killed and al-qaida.
It is also indicated that since 2009, Barack Obama has intensified the UAV campaigns, with most of the attacks destined specifically for North Waziristan. “But the number of blows has decreased significantly in recent months — when relations between the United States and Pakistan have deteriorated.”
Finally, the AP’s material notes Pakistan’s alleged connection with both al-Qaida and the Taliban: “Pakistan has close historical ties to both groups, and US officials accuse Pakistan's Inter-Agency Intelligence (ISI) of continuing to provide them with support - a charge denied by Islamabad. ”
The result of the exchange of courtesies: “Pakistan’s 30 parliament in March 2012 extended the ban on the transit of NATO military cargo to Afghanistan by a majority vote. Lawmakers demanded that the US authorities stop the shelling of Pakistan’s territory and respect the sovereignty of the country, reports Xinhua (RBC).
But on the eve of March, 29, "Voice of America" rejoiced at the "improvement of bilateral relations" of the United States and Pakistan:
“High-level talks between Pakistani and US military officials in Islamabad and President Obama’s meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Reza Gilani at the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit earlier this week suggest that tensions between the two countries gradually weakens.
The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan stated that these negotiations and meetings set a good tone for the resumption of cooperation between the two countries and the opening of the NATO channels for the supply of troops in Afghanistan. ”
Thus, the logistics negotiations between NATO and Pakistan were at an impasse. America is not going to meet the conditions of Pakistan and still wants to bullet rockets wherever it wishes, and without apologies, and parliamentarians are afraid of the threats of the Taliban and the "Arab spring" from Al-Qaida. Economic considerations in this situation help a little.
Observed and translated by Oleg Chuvakin
- especially for topwar.ru
- especially for topwar.ru
Information