(AKI) - American forces were responsible for Wednesday's deadly raid on a suspected Taliban haven near the Afghan border that has generated widespread condemnation in Pakistan, an unnamed senior official has said. You sure? Rumor I heard wuz, it wuz Samoans.
According to Pakistan's Geo News, a senior US military official conceded US forces were behind the controversial assault on the alleged militant stronghold that took place on Wednesday in the South Waziristan tribal area. Pakistan's government has condemned the action which killed 20 people.
Where should we go to register our complaint about the existence of a "militant stronghold" within spitting distance of the Afghan border?
The US official, speaking in Washington on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of cross border operations, said the raid occurred just inside Pakistan.
NATO helicopter gunships attacked the militants' stronghold in the Angoor Adda area, less than two kilometres from the Afghan border. Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Mehmood Qureshi, on Thursday called the incident in Angoor Adda shameful, regrettable and surprising.
Kinda like the presence of al-Qaeda in the territory of a "friendly" nation.
According to the state agency, Associated Press of Pakistan, Qureshi said it was an 'unforgivable incident' and that the country's sovereignty had been violated despite its central role in the war against terrorism. "Pakistan is committed to fight against extremism and terrorism and our track record proves that (the) Pakistan Army have laid down their lives to fight this monster," he told the National Assembly.
"Just not that particular monster."
He said the Foreign Office had already lodged a strong protest with the US and summoned its ambassador to convey its objections. Qureshi said the attack was also in violation of international principles under the UN charter.
"The Hague Conventions say a neutral country can't allow its territory to be used to conduct hostilities. It don't say nothin' about putative allies!"
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik , said an investigation was underway into the attack in Pakistani territory. "We are investigating how and when the attack was launched. The result would be shared with the nation. We would give our stance only once the investigations are concluded," he told reporters.
Meanwhile Adnkronos International's correspondent, Syed Saleem Shahzad, said that the British High Commission closed its visa application centre in the capital, Islamabad, because of a security threat.
The move came amid reports that 26 police recruits had been kidnapped by gunmen in the town of Hangu in North West Frontier Province. Militants battling security forces have kidnapped numerous government officials, soldiers and policemen over the past year and are still holding many of them. Pakistan's Taliban are also holding two Chinese engineers abducted last week along with a Pakistani driver and guard.
Normally we don't go after Taliban, though we'd probably swoop in to try and grab Mullah Blinky or maybe Hekmatyar or Haqqani. It's a lot more likely we were trying for a Qaeda big turban.