US Central Command urged greater trust with the Pakistani military

WASHINGTON: The head of US Central Command urged greater trust and communications with the Pakistani military on Monday amid a diplomatic crisis after US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last month.

General James Mattis made his recommendations after his command, which oversees US military operations across a wide swath of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, released the results of its own investigation into the November 25-26 incident.

A joint US-Nato investigation unveiled last week portrayed a disastrous spate of errors and botched communication in which both sides failed to inform the other about their operational plans or the location of troops.

"The strongest take-away from this incident is the fundamental fact that we must improve border coordination and this requires a foundational level of trust on both sides of the border," Mattis said in a statement.

The deadliest single cross-border attack of the 10-year war in Afghanistan, the strike has plunged the precarious Pakistani-US alliance to its lowest ebb in a decade with both sides in dispute about the precise sequence of events.

Islamabad rejected the earlier US inquiry after the Americans insisted their troops responded only after coming under heavy machine-gun and mortar fire.

Although the US-Nato probe acknowledged the Americans had relayed "incorrect mapping information" to a Pakistani liaison officer that gave the wrong location for Pakistani troops at border outposts, the CENTCOM report made no mention of discipline of US or Nato personnel.

But Mattis directed Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) commander General John Allen to take a number of corrective actions to improve the now-moribund relationship with Islamabad, including fostering "improved, mutual trust" between forces working in the mostly lawless border areas.

Troops should also "clarify authorities, responsibilities, and standard operating procedures" in the area as well as conduct formal exercises and drills to improve coordination and reduce chances of conflict.

Mattis also called for "full disclosure of all border area facilities and installations" on both sides of the border, with updates using a shared database and map as well as organizing coordination visits.

The comments came as The New York Times reported that US officials believe a counterterrorism alliance with Pakistan can survive only in a limited form, as a deterioration in ties complicates the ability to launch attacks against Islamic extremists and move supplies into Afghanistan.

"We've closed the chapter on the post-9/11 period," the Times quoted a senior US official as saying. "Pakistan has told us very clearly that they are re-evaluating the entire relationship."

Kayani, Allen did not discuss Nato supply: ISPR

RAWALPINDI: The ISPR has issued a statement saying that during the conversation between Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISAF Commander General John Allen the issue of reopening the NATO supply route did not come under discussion.

Earlier reports had indicated that this issue was discussed during a telephonic conversation between Kayani and Allen on 12 December 2011. (Gew News Report).

Pakistan regained the control of Shamsi airbase

QUETTA: Pakistan regained the control of Shamsi airbase today after last US plane left the facility 03:00 PM taking all remaining military equipment and personnel out of the country, Geo News reported.

US officials have vacated the facility on the orders of Pakistan government following the Nato strikes that killed at least 24 Pak army soldiers on November 26.

The decision on whether to hand over the airbase to UAE will be taken later on, the sources added.

Pakistan decides to shoot down US drones

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will shoot down any US drone that intrudes its airspace as per new directives, a senior Pakistani official said. According to the new Pakistani defence policy, “Any object entering into our airspace, including US drones, will be treated as hostile and be shot down,” a senior Pakistani military official told NBC News. The policy change comes just weeks after a deadly NATO attack on Pakistani military checkpoints killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, prompting Pakistani officials to order all US personnel out of a remote airfield in Pakistan. The government had told the United States to vacate the Shamsi airbase by December 11. The Frontier Corps took control of the Shamsi airbase on Saturday evening after most US military personnel left, sources said. Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani had issued multiple directives since the November 26 NATO attack, which included orders to shoot down US drones, senior military officials confirmed to NBC News. It was unclear whether orders to fire upon incoming US drones were part of the initial orders. The Pakistani airbase had been used by US forces, including the CIA, to stage elements of a clandestine US counter-terrorism operation to attack militants linked to al Qaeda, the Taliban and Haqqani network, using unmanned drone aircraft armed with missiles. Since 2004, US drones have carried out more than 300 attacks inside Pakistan. inp

Iranian TV released the footage of a U.S. drone shot down by Iranian troops

TEHRAN, Dec. 8 -- Iranian state TV on Thursday showed the footage of a U.S. drone shot down by Iranian troops in the eastern region four days ago. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' (IRGC) Aerospace Commander Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh said in the report shown by IRIB TV station that "recently, with the help of collected intelligence and with the accurate electronic monitoring, it was learned that the drone was to enter Iran's air space for spying." "After the drone infiltrated Iran's eastern space, it was trapped by the electronic systems of Iran's armed forces and was downed with the least damage possible," Hajizadeh said. Iranian media reported Sunday that the Iranian military downed a RQ-170 U.S. reconnaissance drone aircraft in the eastern part of the country after finding it had transgressed the eastern borders.

The RQ-170 drone is an unmanned aircraft which has been used for reconnaissance and surveillance by the United States in Afghanistan. Describing the hi-tech specifications of the downed aircraft, the IRGC's aerospace commander said Thursday that the military experts are well aware that the drone has very invaluable technological data.

The drone, the technology of which has been used in B2 and F35 planes too, is equipped with highly advanced surveillance technology and electronic communication and radar systems, Hajizadeh said, adding that the drone is controlled both by satellite and stations based in Afghanistan and the Untied States.

Despite the Iranian claims, U.S. officials denied that the drone was brought down by Iran, insisting that its fall was due to mechanical difficulties, the Wall Street Journal reported. The U.S. officials were quoted as saying on Wednesday that the United States had considered but finally given up a covert mission inside Iran to retrieve or destroy a stealth drone crashed last week, for fear that such actions could provoke explosive clashes with Iran.

U.S. officials are concerned that the craft's falling into Iran 's hands could lead to security breach, although they said the aircraft's technology cannot be engineered with ease. The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned Swiss Ambassador to Tehran Livia Leu Agosti to protest the "violation" of its airspace by a U.S. drone, the state IRIB TV reported. Iran's protest letter denounced the growing U.S. "provocative and secret moves" against the Islamic Republic, said the report.

"The move is in violation of all international conventions and runs counter to regional and international peace and security. Surely the responsibility for the illegal move lies with the U.S. authorities," the letter was quoted as saying. The letter added that Iran would reserve the right for following the case as deemed appropriate. The Swiss embassy in Tehran represents the U.S. interests in Iran since Tehran and Washington severed diplomatic relations in 1980.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday that no options are off the table on Iran's nuclear program.

"No options off the table means I'm considering all options," the president told reporters at the White House.

In defense of his policy towards Iran, Obama said when he took office in 2009, the world was divided but Iran "was unified and moving aggressively on its own agenda."

In contrast, the Islamic Republic is isolated today while the world is unified and "applying the toughest sanctions that Iran's ever experienced," he argued, adding the sanctions are having an impact inside the country. He vowed to work with U.S. allies, including Israel, to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. "If they are pursuing nuclear weapons, then I have said very clearly that is contrary to the national security interests of the United States, it is contrary to the national security interests of our allies, including Israel, and we are going to work with the world community to prevent that," he said.

He challenged Iran to act "responsibly" and foreswear the development of nuclear weapons, saying the move would still allow the country "to pursue peaceful nuclear power."Amid the rising tension between the West and Iran, and the military threats that comes from the United States and Israel against Iran, the Islamic Republic has claimed that it will react to any threat with threat.

Deputy commander of IRGC Brigadier general Hossein Salami said last week that in the face of Western military threats, the defense doctrine of the Islamic Republic would be "threat for threat."

However, Iran said that it is not in war alert with the United States or Israel. Chief of Iran's Majlis (parliament) Defense Committee rejected on Wednesday media reports that the Islamic Republic has recently gone on war alert.

"Under the existing conditions, we have no indication that we should be in a particular and new military condition, and it is not correct that Iran's armed forces are placed on a specific alert," Gholam-Reza Karami said. Karami said the country is always prepared for any military encounter, said the report.

Recently, some Western media reported that IRGC has issued a war alert "amid a series of mysterious blasts and cyber attacks" in the country. The Daily Telegraph said the IRGC had started to deploy long- range missiles and guard units to key defensive positions around the country after an order from its Chief Commander General Mohammad-Ali Jafari.

On Nov. 28, the IRGC commander Gholam-Reza Jalali dismissed media reports that a virus attack on Iran's missile program caused the two successive explosions in the garrison of IRGC which killed a senior IRGC commander and 16 of IRGC members some 35 km away from the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Some believed the intelligent services of Israel and the United States were behind the blast. While the West accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of "civilian" nuclear program, Iran insists that its nuclear program is only for "peaceful" purpose.

Pakistan has decided to deploy "Air Defense System" on Pak-Afghan border

ISLAMABAD -  Pakistan has decided to deploy air defense weapons on its border with Afghanistan to pre-empt fresh attacks by NATO and allied forces in the wake of a cross-border air strike that killed 24 soldiers, according to a media report on Friday. The decision to deploy air defense weapons was made as the country re-evaluates its strategy for safeguarding its western borders from air raids, the Pakistan Army’s Director General of Military Operations, Maj Gen Ashfaq Nadeem Ahmed, told the federal cabinet and the Senate’s Standing Committee on Defense during briefings on Thursday. “After the November 26 NATO attack on two military check-posts in the Mohmand Agency, we fear an attack from the western border. Hence a decision has been taken to deploy air defense weapons in that region,” a participant of one of the briefings told the Dawn newspaper. Pakistan closed all NATO supply routes and asked the U.S. to vacate the Shamsi airbase by December 11 following the air strike. The DGMO said the army chief, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, had given troops full liberty to retaliate to any further attacks without prior approval of the top command. He said that Pakistan border posts were currently equipped with small weapons suitable for fighting insurgents and bunkers had been built. Ahmed said the coordination mechanism between Pakistani and NATO forces had been “completely violated” and there were reasons to believe that the air strike was a “planned attack, and not a mistake.” Ahmed said Pakistan had recalled 19 of its 31 officers from border coordination centers for “consultations.”

Nato attack 'pre-planned': Director General Military

ISLAMABAD: (Geo News)- Director General Military Operations Major General Ashfaq Nadeem Thursday termed the Nato airstrike in Mohmand Agency as a “pre-planned attack,” Geo News reported.

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Defence which met under the chairmanship of Javed Ashraf Qazi, the DG MO said Nato officials gave wrong information to the Border Coordination Centre about the location of the operation.

"The bunkers were specifically targeted and destroyed," Maj. Gen. Ashfaq Nadeem told the Senate body.

PM tells COAS to retaliate if attacked

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani here at the Prime Minister House on Friday afternoon.

The meeting was held to discuss national security following the Nato attack.

During the meeting Prime Minister Gilani told the Army Chief that Pakistan would retaliate if attacked again.

Prime Minister Gilani further added that the democratic government would not allow any attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty.

COAS Kayani informed the Prime Minister about measure taken to increase defence capabilities on the western border and said the Pakistan Army was committed to protecting the country’s sovereignty.

 

Pentagon wants restoration of Pak posts on Afghan border

WASHINGTON: Pentagon Tuesday expressed hope that Pakistan would restore all posts at Afghan border.

Earlier, Pakistan temporarily recalled some troops from border posts meant to coordinate activity with international forces in Afghanistan.

According to the Pentagon spokesman, this would certainly have an impact on the operations and risks the chances of incidents like the one that happened last month. He said that availability of centres would help to stop such incidents.

He said they wanted to get back a level of greater cooperation with Pakistani military.

Spokesman said that Pakistan did not recall all of its personnel, adding that they left one officer in each centres.

Obama phones Zardari; condoles Pak soldiers death

WASHINGTON: US president Barrack Obama on Sunday telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari and offered condolences over the martyrdom of Pakistani soldiers in Nato air strike.

A White House statement said Obama placed a call early Sunday to Zardari expressing his regrets over the "tragic loss" and promising a "full investigation" into the incident, which has plunged the two uneasy allies into a diplomatic crisis.

Obama "made clear that this regrettable incident was not a deliberate attack on Pakistan and reiterated the United States' strong commitment to a full investigation," the statement said.

Islamabad has so far refused to take part in a US investigation into the November 26 air strikes on the Afghan border.

But the White House said Obama and Zardari nonetheless "reaffirmed their commitment to the US-Pakistan bilateral relationship, which is critical to the security of both nations, and they agreed to stay in close touch."

In the wake of the strikes, Pakistan decided not to take part in the Bonn Conference on the future of Afghanistan that opens Monday -- a decision which, together with the Taliban's boycott, has cast the event's usefulness into doubt.

Pakistan has also shut down NATO's vital supply line into Afghanistan and ordered American personnel to leave Shamsi air base.

The base is widely understood to have been a hub for the covert CIA drone war on Taliban and Al-Qaeda commanders in Pakistan's troubled border areas with Afghanistan.

US officials say Pakistan leaving liaison centers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is pulling its troops out of at least two of the three centers meant to coordinate military activity across the Afghan border in apparent retaliation for NATO airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, US military officials said.

A senior Pakistani military official says the force is temporarily pulling back some of its troops from centers meant to coordinate activity with international forces across the Afghan border.

The official said on Tuesday the troops are returning for several days of "consultation" to determine how to improve coordination with NATO forces in Afghanistan after coalition airstrikes last month killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Both the Pakistani and the US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The move will hamper US efforts to liaise with Pakistani forces, increasing the risk that something could go wrong again, said the officials late Monday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The US and Pakistan have offered different accounts of what led to the NATO attacks against two army posts along the Afghan border before dawn on Nov. 26, but the deadly incident seems to have been caused in part by communication breakdowns.

US officials say Pakistan leaving liaison centers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is pulling its troops out of at least two of the three centers meant to coordinate military activity across the Afghan border in apparent retaliation for NATO airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, US military officials said.

A senior Pakistani military official says the force is temporarily pulling back some of its troops from centers meant to coordinate activity with international forces across the Afghan border.

The official said on Tuesday the troops are returning for several days of "consultation" to determine how to improve coordination with NATO forces in Afghanistan after coalition airstrikes last month killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Both the Pakistani and the US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The move will hamper US efforts to liaise with Pakistani forces, increasing the risk that something could go wrong again, said the officials late Monday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The US and Pakistan have offered different accounts of what led to the NATO attacks against two army posts along the Afghan border before dawn on Nov. 26, but the deadly incident seems to have been caused in part by communication breakdowns.

US given 15 days to close Shamsi Airbase

ISLAMABAD: The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) in its emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday evening reiterated the resolve of the Pakistani people and Armed Forces to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity at all costs.

The meeting held here at the Prime Minister House was attended by federal ministers, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), Services Chiefs and members of the DCC.

In accordance with the resolution of the Joint Session of the Parliament of May 14, 2011, the DCC decided to close with immediate effect the NATO/ISAF logistics supply lines. The DCC also decided to ask the United States (US) to vacate the Shamsi Airbase within 15 days.

The DCC decided that the government will revisit and undertake a complete review of all programmes, activities and cooperative arrangements with US/NATO/ISAF, including diplomatic, political, military and intelligence, according to a statement issued from the Prime Minister House after the DCC meeting.

The meeting strongly condemned the attack by NATO/ISAF aircraft on Pakistani border posts in the Mohmand Agency which has resulted in the loss of precious lives of officers and men of Pakistan Army and injuries to several.

The DCC expressed heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families of brave soldiers who fought valiantly and embraced Shahadat, and also prayed for the early recovery of injured.

The prime minister will take the Parliament into confidence on the whole range of measures regarding matters relating to Pakistan’s future cooperation with US/NATO/ISAF, in the near future.

The DCC noted that strong protests had been lodged with the United States and at NATO Headquarters in Brussels conveying in the strongest possible terms Pakistan’s condemnation of these attacks, which constituted breach of sovereignty, were violative of international law and had gravely dented the fundamental basis of Pakistan’s cooperation with NATO/ISAF against militancy and terror.

The DCC also noted that NATO/ISAF attacks were also violative of their mandate, which was confined to Afghanistan. Pakistan had clearly conveyed to US/NATO/ISAF its red lines which constituted an integral element of Pakistan’s cooperation that was based on a partnership approach.

The attack on Pakistan Army border posts is totally unacceptable and warrants an effective national response, the DCC added.

Pakistan stops NATO supplies

PESHAWAR: The political administration of Khyber Agency has halted supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan after the federation’s order, Geo News reported Saturday.

According to the agency’s political administration, the government ordered to stop supplies to NATO after a Pakistani check post was attacked early Saturday morning, killing at least 20 security men including two officers.

Hundreds of containers and oil tankers are now standing at a check post in Tehsil Jamrood where the supplies were stopped after the orders.

Pakistan has developed world's smartest nuclear device

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s nuclear programme has made some extraordinary progress by developing one of the world’s smartest nuclear tactical devices, it has been learnt.

According to a western diplomat, the former dictator and the then President General Pervez Musharraf, during one of his meetings with US officials, had deemed it proper to convey it to the Americans what Pakistan possessed and how the country’s nuclear scientists had secured the defence of Pakistan.

The diplomatic source said that New Delhi also knows what Pakistan has produced and what is really unmatched. The Indians got this source said and believed that Musharraf intentionally conveyed this to the Americans so that the country is not treated by the US like Afghanistan and Iraq Pakistan is neither a signatory to NPT nor CTBT, however, it has unilaterally decided to use its nuclear programme only as deterrence against any foreign aggression.

After becoming the target of the Western capitals particularly Washington, which have been unleashing all sorts of propaganda against Pakistan’s nuclear programme, Islamabad has developed one of the most credible and foolproof command and control systems for its nuclear programme. The US authorities have acknowledged the credibility and security of Pakistan’s nukes.

Wikipedia quotes a Washington-based science think tank as saying that Pakistan is increasing its capacity to produce plutonium at its Khushab nuclear facility. The website said that the estimated Pakistani nuclear weapons was probably in the neighbourhood of more than 200 by the end of 2009.

It, however, adds that the actual size of Pakistan’s nuclear stockpile is hard for experts to gauge owing to the extreme secrecy, which surrounds the programme. Pakistan’s nuclear programme was started by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto while the country conducted its nuclear test on May 28, 1998 during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure.