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| Afghanistan |
| U.S. Soldier Wounded by Pakistani Border Guard |
| 2002-12-31 |
| An American soldier wounded in Afghanistan at the weekend was shot in an exchange of gunfire with a Pakistani border patrol, prompting the U.S. to drop a bomb on the border area, the U.S. army said on Tuesday. A Pakistani intelligence official said two U.S. bombs had fallen "accidentally" inside Pakistani territory in the same area Sunday. The American was part of a unit conducting a routine mission with Pakistani forces along the Afghan border when a disagreement appeared to break out, according to a statement released by the U.S. military at their Afghan headquarters at Bagram air base. "A Pakistani border scout opened fire with a G3 rifle after the U.S. patrol asked him to return to the Pakistan side of the border," the statement said. "That individual and several others retreated to a nearby structure," it added. "Close air support was requested and one 500-lb bomb was dropped on the target area." Presumably on the structure... The U.S. military said the incident happened near the Afghan village of Shkin, which lies on the border with Pakistan. A Pakistani intelligence official said two U.S. bombs had fallen inside Pakistani territory Sunday after a firing incident in Afghanistan. He said the bombs fell in the South Waziristan tribal agency, which lies across the border from Shkin, but it was impossible to confirm if he was referring to the same incident. That would imply that such incidents are pretty common, wouldn't it? The official said no one was hurt as the area was deserted. They missed the building? Or the bad guys beat feet out the back door, headed for the nearest horizon, before the aircraft got there? The U.S. statement did not give details of the joint U.S. and Pakistani mission or say whether it was taking place inside Pakistan or Afghanistan. So it was probably in Pakland... U.S. forces patrolling eastern Afghanistan for al Qaeda fugitives say they cooperate with Pakistani forces on the other side of the border, but do not cross into Pakistani territory to pursue fugitives. The U.S. statement also did not say what the Pakistani border guard was doing inside Afghanistan. Taking a leak? FOLLOWUP: Seems the two bad guys didn't make it to the nearest horizon... Hayatullah Khan for Daily Times (Pakistan) Two Pakistani border guards were killed when American and allied forces opened fire at a Pakistani check-post at the Pak-Afghan border near Paktika province of Afghanistan. On Sunday, unidentified (persons) opened fire at an America checkpost at Birmal near the Pak-Afghan border inside Afghanistan, killing two American troops. In retaliation, they targeted a Pakistani checkpost killing two scouts. Later, the American troops chased the assailants, killing one of them inside Afghan territory. A little logical disconnect here... Two scouts killed in retaliation, (two) bad guys chased and bumped off in Afghanistan — but not the same people... Residents in Birmal said Monday that bombs apparently dropped by US planes fell near an abandoned religious school and a police checkpoint in Pakistani territory, but no injuries were reported. One bomb hit a perimeter wall at an abandoned madrassa in the village of Birmal, local resident Allah Noor Khan said, AP reported. Don'tcha hate it when that happens? The police checkpoint wasn't the madrassah, and nobody was killed when it was hit, but the two scouts were iced... Does anybody else get the impression of clouds of denial and obfuscation? A little something somebody doesn't want to admit? |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #4 Ok then...I hate it even less |
| Posted by: Frank G 2002-12-31 20:32:56 |
| #3 Do not forget: frontier Pakistanis voted overwhelmingly for the jihadist MMA party in the recent election. Border guards also vote. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2002-12-31 19:57:21 |
| #2 "...an America checkpost..." Sounds like a tourist attraction. Is there a Planet Hollywood nearby? |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2002-12-31 16:50:32 |
| #1 Don'tcha hate it when that happens? Uh....no...not really |
| Posted by: Frank G 2002-12-31 10:08:04 |