Pakistani army wants US numbers cut
Source: Agencies |
May 6, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
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PAKISTAN'S army has called for cuts in the number of United States military personnel in the country in protest at the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
It also threatened to cut cooperation with Washington if it stages any more unilateral raids on its territory.
Yesterday's statement, the first since Monday's raid, signaled the army's anger at the unilateral operation, but was also aimed at pacifying domestic critics who had accused it of failing to protect the country's sovereignty, potent charges in a country where anti-Americanism runs deep.
Ties between the two were already strained before the raid because of American allegations that Islamabad was failing to crack down on Afghan Taliban factions sheltering on its soil, and Pakistani anger over US drone strikes on its soil.
The statement was issued after a meeting of top generals.
It said Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani told his colleagues that a decision had been made to reduce the number of US military personnel to the "minimum essential" levels. The statement gave no details on the numbers.
The US has around 275 declared US military personnel in Pakistan at any one time, some of them helping train the Pakistan army. US officials were not immediately available for comment.
The Pakistani army also warned that it would review its military and intelligence cooperation with Washington if the US carries out any similar raids.
Earlier, the government had warned of "disastrous consequences" if the US staged a similar attack on its territory.
Friction between the US and Pakistan, a nuclear-armed Muslim ally in the war in Afghanistan and against al-Qaida, has focused on the role of the ISI, Pakistan's top security service.
With questions about how far it was incompetence or connivance that allowed bin Laden to shelter so close to a major military academy, Pakistan's leaders and security officials have defended their roles and their commitment to the US alliance.
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir denied the Pakistani forces or ISI aided al-Qaida: "The critique of the ISI is not only unwarranted, it can not be validated," he said, echoing comments from the prime minister who blamed global intelligence failures.
The army said the Inter-Services Intelligence agency had given initial information to the CIA about bin Laden, and claimed the "CIA did not share further development of intelligence on the case with the ISI, contrary to the existing practice between the two services."
A major Islamist party in Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami, called for mass protests today against what it called a violation of sovereignty by the US raid. It also urged the government end support for US battles against militants.
But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington was still anxious to maintain its alliance with Islamabad.
"It is not always an easy relationship. You know that," she said in Rome. "But, on the other hand, it is a productive one for both our countries."
It also threatened to cut cooperation with Washington if it stages any more unilateral raids on its territory.
Yesterday's statement, the first since Monday's raid, signaled the army's anger at the unilateral operation, but was also aimed at pacifying domestic critics who had accused it of failing to protect the country's sovereignty, potent charges in a country where anti-Americanism runs deep.
Ties between the two were already strained before the raid because of American allegations that Islamabad was failing to crack down on Afghan Taliban factions sheltering on its soil, and Pakistani anger over US drone strikes on its soil.
The statement was issued after a meeting of top generals.
It said Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani told his colleagues that a decision had been made to reduce the number of US military personnel to the "minimum essential" levels. The statement gave no details on the numbers.
The US has around 275 declared US military personnel in Pakistan at any one time, some of them helping train the Pakistan army. US officials were not immediately available for comment.
The Pakistani army also warned that it would review its military and intelligence cooperation with Washington if the US carries out any similar raids.
Earlier, the government had warned of "disastrous consequences" if the US staged a similar attack on its territory.
Friction between the US and Pakistan, a nuclear-armed Muslim ally in the war in Afghanistan and against al-Qaida, has focused on the role of the ISI, Pakistan's top security service.
With questions about how far it was incompetence or connivance that allowed bin Laden to shelter so close to a major military academy, Pakistan's leaders and security officials have defended their roles and their commitment to the US alliance.
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir denied the Pakistani forces or ISI aided al-Qaida: "The critique of the ISI is not only unwarranted, it can not be validated," he said, echoing comments from the prime minister who blamed global intelligence failures.
The army said the Inter-Services Intelligence agency had given initial information to the CIA about bin Laden, and claimed the "CIA did not share further development of intelligence on the case with the ISI, contrary to the existing practice between the two services."
A major Islamist party in Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami, called for mass protests today against what it called a violation of sovereignty by the US raid. It also urged the government end support for US battles against militants.
But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington was still anxious to maintain its alliance with Islamabad.
"It is not always an easy relationship. You know that," she said in Rome. "But, on the other hand, it is a productive one for both our countries."
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