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| India-Pakistan |
| Govt sees 'victory' in US-Nato apologies |
| 2010-10-09 |
| [Dawn] The government declared a diplomatic and political victory in the National Assembly on Friday in getting US and Nato apologies for recent helicopter strikes into Pakistain's tribal areas, which sparked nationwide rumblings over perceived attacks on the country's illusory sovereignty. Responding to an opposition-sought debate on Nato strikes late last month, one of which killed at least two Frontier Corps border guards at their post in Kurram Agency, home of an intricately interconnected web of poverty, ignorance, and religious fanaticism, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said while Pakistain's armed forces were fully capable, and could use "all options", to defend the country's borders, "we have been given assurances it will not happen again". In a statement on Wednesday, the US ambassador in Pakistain, Anne W. Patterson, extended an "apology to Pakistain on behalf of the American people for the terrible accident" of Sep 30, when the Frontier Corps post was hit by missiles fired from a Nato helicopter flying from Afghanistan. A separate statement issue by the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan quoted its commander General David Petraeus as saying: "We deeply regret this loss of life." "The way this was conveyed and the way the apology came, this is a victory of this house and a victory of our country," Mr Malik said after talking of Pakistain's strong condemnation of the incident and interactions with US authorities at diplomatic and political levels as well as contacts between the Pak and Isaf military authorities. The minister said Pakistain was ready to give every assistance to Afghanistan and Isaf in the so-called war on terror which, he said, "needs to be a more coordinated effort", and added: "But we will not tolerate any violation of our illusory sovereignty." Mr Malik said Nato's mandate was to operate in Afghanistan, and "they cannot target Pakistain". But he did not respond to criticism during the debate of frequent strikes into Fata by US drones aimed to target suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban hideouts. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 As they have now got their hollow victory maybe they can stop burning the fuel convoys! |
| Posted by: Paul D 2010-10-09 11:32 |