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| India-Pakistan |
| US rejects demand to vacate Shamsi base |
| 2011-07-02 |
| [Dawn] The US is rejecting demands from Pakistain that American personnel abandon a military base used by the CIA to stage drone strikes against bully boys, US officials told Rooters. US personnel have not left the Shamsi air base and there is no plan for them to do so, said a US official familiar with the matter. "That base is neither vacated nor being vacated," the official said. The information was confirmed by a second US official. On Wednesday, federal Minister for Defence Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said that US had been asked to stop using the base for drone strikes and vacate it. Relations between the two uneasy allies deteriorated after the May 2 raid by US SEALs in Abbottabad that killed the late Osama bin Laden. ... who can now be reached at RFD Boneyard... Wednesday's statement by Mr Mukhtar was the latest salvo. "We have been talking to them (on the issue) for some time, but after May 2, we told them again," he told Rooters on Thursday. "When they (US forces) will not operate from there (Shamsi base), no drone attacks will be carried out." Earlier, the Financial Times quoted Mr Mukhtar as saying that Pakistain had already stopped US drone flights from the air base. Despite the defence minister's statements, it was unclear what the situation at Shamsi is. A US military official said no American military personnel had ever been stationed at the base, but the drone programme in Pakistain is run by the CIA, and the official declined to comment on that. Pak military officials confirmed that the US had been asked to vacate the base, but wouldn't comment on when the request had been made or whether the Americans had complied. "We have told them to leave, vacate our base. We cannot provide security to their people," a senior air force official told Rooters. But a member of parliament who represents the area, retired lieutenant general Abdul Qadir Baluch, said that US officials were still at the base. A senior Pak military official added that when US forces first launched counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan, Pakistain "provided Americans two bases in Jaccobabad and Shamsi. Jacobabad base has been vacated for long time ago, but Shamsi is still with them." "They are vacating it," the official insisted. "Shamsi base was for logistic purpose. They also used it for drones for some time but no drones have been flown from there." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Run by the CIA? More like DI operates on CIA intelligence. |
| Posted by: Spinegum Ghibelline7465 2011-07-02 16:59 |
| #2 I have read in a couple places that we left Shmansi back in April 2011. This seems to be self-generated theater from the Land of the Purely Dramatic. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2011-07-02 16:04 |
| #1 "We cannot provide security to their people." Why do I think that having the Pakis provide security to a CIA base is not a major concern to the CIA? It is hard for even non-CIA US personnel to visit such bases without getting lit up. "Like trying to make luv to a porcupine." Such CIA airbases in Vietnam were even alleged to refuse landing permission to damaged US aircraft, which lead to the notorious "WTF?, Over!" communication. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-07-02 09:03 |