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India-Pakistan
Pakistan won't accept repeat of ‘CIA airstrike’
2006-01-18
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan “cannot accept any action within our country” such as the US missile attack — apparently aimed at Al Qaeda’s No. 2 leader — that killed civilians in a border village, the prime minister said yesterday.
So go find and kill Zawahiri yourself. We won't mind, really we won't.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, however, stressed that Pakistan’s relationship with the United States remained important and reiterated he was pressing ahead with an official visit to Washington. He is due to depart Pakistan later yesterday.

He made the comments surrounding the purported CIA strike targeting Ayman Al Zawahiri in a joint Press conference with former US president George H.W. Bush, who is currently touring Pakistan as the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for the relief effort in areas affected by October’s monster earthquake. “Pakistan has committed to fighting terrorism but naturally we cannot accept any action within our country which results in what happened over the weekend,” Aziz said. “The relationship with the US is important, it is growing,” Aziz said. “But at the same time such actions cannot be condoned.”

Many in this nation of 150 million people oppose the government’s backing of the United States, and there is increasing seething frustration over a recent series of suspected US attacks along the porous and ill-defined frontier aimed at militants.
No frustration, however, at the ISI/Taliban attacks along the same border.
“My trip to the U.S. is there on schedule because we want to engage on many issues, including how we fight terrorism, and this incident will also be discussed,” Aziz said at a joint news conference with the former U.S. president.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Cabinet condemned the loss of life, and Aziz said that he would take up the matter with US President George W. Bush, when he meets him later this month.
I'd love to be the fly on the wall for that one.
Posted by:Steve White

#9  OK, then. You guys make sure that Zawahiri is in the building BEFORE we fire on it and well be sure not to screw it up, OK?
Posted by: Spoter Unatle4689   2006-01-18 21:37  

#8  Are you quite certain our guys had nothing to do with the recent airplane crash in Iran that was full of Iranian generals?

Actually, it is far more likely that the crash (and its sabotage) was a direct result of internal dissension or strife between Ahmadnejad and Kahmeini. If not that, there is still the problem of the Revolutionary Guard's recent refusal to fire upon crowds of Iranian demonstrators. Too bad these internecine squabbles aren't likely to balloon into total anarchy within Iran anytime soon.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-01-18 21:09  

#7  BS for domestic consumption only. Embarrassing to Perv, et al that some of the bodies were "of interest" as the FBI sez of Hatfill....
Posted by: Frank G   2006-01-18 21:08  

#6  Which begs the question as to why we're so ballsy there and so timid elsewhere.

Because the Pakistani government was eyeballs deep in the 9/11 attacks and Musharraf knew if that if their involvement became general knowledge (i.e. covered by the major news networks), the US would be at war with Pakistan. For example the head of the ISI, Gen. Mehmood Ahmed, wired $100,000 to Mohammed Atta via Ahmed Omar Sheikh. The same Ahmed Omar Sheikh that cut off Daniel Pearl's head because he was pursuing Pakistani involvement. I found it an interesting coincidence that Gen. Ahmed was on Capitol Hill the day of the attack and had ringside seats to watch it all. And that is why I think Flight 93 targetted the White House, not Congress.
Posted by: ed   2006-01-18 19:53  

#5  Which begs the question as to why we're so ballsy there and so timid elsewhere.

Or, perhaps, why we are so open there and so secretive elsewhere. Are you quite certain our guys had nothing to do with the recent airplane crash in Iran that was full of Iranian generals? ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-01-18 19:23  

#4  I would suggest they don't really have any choice in the matter.

Which begs the question as to why we're so ballsy there and so timid elsewhere.
Posted by: Crusader   2006-01-18 18:00  

#3  Pakistan won't accept repeat of ‘CIA airstrike’

Fine, next time make it a full Air Force carpet bombing. We've got an endless list of change-ups to deliver. Pakistan's ISI makes the Saudis look like trustworthy friends.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-01-18 14:14  

#2  .com

Let us split hairs here:

I believe the Pakis said "no more CIA strikes" and "down, down Bush, down, down USA."

But I didn't read any mention of their not accepting airstrikes from this:

B-1 Lancer Delivers Payload
Posted by: The Angry Fliegerabwehrkanonen   2006-01-18 09:51  

#1  What the PakiWakis will and won't "condone" is pretty fucking flexible, methinks.
Posted by: .com   2006-01-18 02:44  

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