NATO Admits Deadly Attack On Pakistan Army

NATO has admitted it is "highly likely" it was responsible for an attack by warplanes and helicopters that killed dozens of Pakistan soldiers on an Afghan border post near Mohmand. Pakistan forces returned fire.

Reuters and Al Jazeera said the toll could reach or exceed 30. It was the deadliest attack on Pakistan forces by NATO since it invaded neighboring Afghanistan after 9/11.

"Pakistan's sovereignty was attacked early this morning," said Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. "This is our Pakistan and we have to defend it," told the Wall Street journal.
"Close air support was called in, in the development of the tactical situation, and it is what likely caused the Pakistan casualties," Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson, a spokesman for NATO said. He apologized.

News reports said NATO forces were involved in an anti-Taliban operation in the Khyber region of northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border.

Relations between Islamabad have deteriorated as the war seems to drone on without end. And U.S. military and government officials have accused Pakistan of giving some of the ammunition and other aid it delivers to anti-Afghanistan government groups.

In some cases NATO forces allegedly were killed with these munitions.

Pakistan was outraged by the Navy Seal attack inside its territory that resulted in the execution of Osama bin Laden.

Afghan President has simultaneously criticized the U.S. for allegedly killing civilians not involved in the conflict.

In the U.S., support for the war has declined as casualties climb at the same time American commanders say they are winning. Intense pressure to cut government spending adds to the pressure to pull out of the graveyard of empires.

Pakistan, meanwhile, said it returned fire on the attack early Saturday. There was no information on NATO suffered casualties.

"Pakistani troops effectively responded immediately in self-defense to NATO's aggress with all available weapons," its military said in a statement.

 

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Comments

[Satirist1]

01:30 PM on 11/28/2011

Pakistan's sovereignty was attacked early this morning," said Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. "
What sovereignty is he talking about about?!

His government has zero sovereignty in the area has all but recognized "de facto" government of Islamic Emirate of Waziristan in 2006.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006/09/19/story_19-9-2006_pg7_25

[Michael D Ballantine]

04:47 AM on 11/28/2011

Ratcheting up the hostilities is not going to improve relations. There is one way to avoid this type of tragedy, bring the troops home. That way, there won't be any American or NATO troops to fire on Pakistani ones. Unless the government can articulate a vital interest, it's time to come home. Fighting Al-Qaeda or preventing them from reestablishing a base are not good enough. That record has been played too often. We need to reduce expenses and at $2 billion a week, its first on the list.

[Charles Queen]

11:41 PM on 11/26/2011

Make no mistake.I will bet moeny that this strike was no acident by any means.Even in close air support these days with the intel and tech etc I totaly believe this was intended to happen.So now they close off supply routes and the drone bases?Well then quit giving the backstabbers financial aide etc.There's no need to to begin with,it's not going to the people who need it,thats given.Cut em off.Their not going to quit participating with the taliban and thats just plain and simple.They have been all along and will continue to

[Satirist1]

01:49 PM on 11/28/2011

That's not writing, that's typing.

[yoursotruly]

09:07 PM on 11/26/2011

When Sarah Palin intelligently pointed out that Pakistan has nuclear weapons it shocked me but she emphasized the correct point. Pakistan was cowed into a show of support by W who was prepared to go to war against any nation that didn't explicitly support him. Pakistan never really supported Bush but even Americans remember how scared some of us were of our own President. It should be no surprise that Pakistan is supporting the Taliban and always has, they are Pakistan's expansion plan. Pakistan is setting up a situation where they can demand an early withdrawal of American troops with the support of Karzai and this incident may have been a set up but it would force the US to settle for a ceasefire line which would be inside Afghanistan and strategically overlooking Afghan cities which would be patrolled by Pakistani troops and effectively ceded to the Taliban for a homeland. The nuclear weapons and other tactical weapons within miles of our troops and main supply line makes a pretty strong argument for withdrawal if Pakistan demands it and has an excuse. Pakistan would absorb this new territory over time and become stronger as a result. Good plan for them and difficult to counter without a war inside Pakistan or some other and different strategy. Good Luck, Obama, pull something out of your hat to get us out of Bush's insane quagmire without to much damage to our country's reputation and influence.

[AZ2MWEST]

06:33 PM on 11/26/2011

Implicit revenge for Pakistan's support of the Haqqani Network. We must win in Afghanistan. Can't have the Taliban or any other extremist organization reconstitute itself there and allow terrorists back in. Considering the fact the fact that Pakistan has nuclear weapons, we really don't want Afghanistan falling into the wrong hands again. Our national security and national existence is at stake!!

[Princeton123]

09:14 PM on 11/26/2011

Stop this Right wing rant, please.

[phal4875]

02:51 PM on 11/27/2011

Please try to control your extreme fears. You are probably not being threatened by anyone.

[AZ2MWEST]

09:56 PM on 11/28/2011

I'm not, America is being threatened. Boy jack, you must have naive understanding of the situation there. There was a little event back on Sep. 11th, 2001. Two tall buildings were hit by high jacked aircraft in New York City and one Dept. of Defense building in Washington, D.C. I understand some 3,000 people were killed that day by a group of terrorists supported by an extremist group in Afghanistan. Pretty dramatic from what I understand. You should check it out.

[Watersisland]

02:39 PM on 11/26/2011

While I belive we should have been out of Afghanistan within months after we attacked subsequent to 9/11 (and could have if resources hadn't been criminally redirected to Iraq---but that's another story)....my only objection to this attack is if innocent citizens were killed. If our objective was to eliminate the Taliban's hold on Afghanistan---PAKISTAN has proven to be one of the greatest impediments to reaching that goal and should count their blessings every day that passes that they still remain virtually intact.

[Bradley Greig Smith]

06:28 PM on 11/26/2011

These troops were on our side.

[phal4875]

02:52 PM on 11/27/2011

Fanned. That fact should, at least, make us reluctant to kill them.

[GHarry]

02:24 PM on 11/26/2011

The war in Afghanistan makes the ridiculous Vietnam War look like an exercise in statesmanship.

[Readbetweentheelevens]

06:55 PM on 11/27/2011

...and may I point out that statesman Bush and Obama both deserve the applause.

[frameofmind]

02:14 PM on 11/26/2011

You couldn't get this off of the main page quickly enough, I'll bet you a cookie.

Now you have pissed off the Pakastani's, way to go! Now you loose both supply lines, the only two supply lines into Afghanistan, nice work! Well, the war had to end sooner or later....

[JumboBurrito]

02:36 PM on 11/26/2011

NATO has supply lines through central Asia.

[ThinkCreeps]

04:26 PM on 11/26/2011

It costs more though. And that route wasn't the cleanest and easiest for the soviet union in the 1980s.

[Bradley Greig Smith]

06:29 PM on 11/26/2011

50% is coming in through these two. They have also closed two air bases now.