Top Pakistani General: US Attack Was ‘Pre-Planned’
Bunkers Were 'Specifically Targeted'
Speaking today to a Senate defense committee Pakistan’s Major General Ashfaq Nadeem, the Director General of Military Operations, said he had concluded that the US attack on a pair of Pakistani military bases was not only deliberate but “pre-planned.”
The military bases, in Mohmand Agency, were totally leveled by the attack, and Maj. Gen. Nadeem says that NATO initially gave them incorrect information about the target of the attack.
“The bunkers were specifically targeted and destroyed,” he reported. He said that the attack was carried out by US Special Forces operating outside of NATO’s operational control, and that he had no doubt the attack helicopters and warplanes knew what was being targeted.
Several officials in the military told the committee that they don’t trust NATO’s probe, saying that repeated NATO probes over past incidents never yielded any meaningful results and that there was no reason to expect any transparency this time.
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Greer
December 8th, 2011 at 11:45 pm
Of course it was. Just the fact that you are seeing a coordinated strike of aircraft, helicopters and special forces shows a great deal of planning. They didn't all just accidently show up for a picnic at the same place at the same time.
Andron
December 9th, 2011 at 2:44 am
The Pakistani's are slow learners BUT at last they are learning.
NEVER TRUST AMERICA – THEY TALK WITH FORKED TONGUE.
The native Americans learned this lesson long long ago.
wichi63@hotmail.com
December 9th, 2011 at 7:11 am
Wow!! Finally Pakistanis discovery that there is a moon, a simple monkey can understand the real intention of the EEUU-NATO… the entire destruction of Pakistan!!
CuriousPacifistCynic
December 9th, 2011 at 9:04 am
NATO calls this a "tragic unintended incident", but it looks like the scenario leading to this bombing might have been analogous to that other NATO bombing campaign when the US claimed – dubiously – to have "attacked the wrong target because the bombing instructions were based on an outdated map" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1999/oct/17/balkans). We know why they wouldn't admit to deliberately bombing such a target, and we know the threshold for restraint against attacking Pakistani has lowered considerably in recent times, but the question remains: who precisely was being targeted? (And will it stop with them?)
MvGuy
December 9th, 2011 at 11:12 am
Yawn…….. More of the same…. When will the Pakistanis figure out WHO it IS….. calling the shots …..and bombs America drops on Muslim folks and nations…….. When…???
MoT
December 9th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Is this any surprise? People always get "the horns" messin around with DC lunatics.
persnipoles
December 9th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Several comments: ~'can't trust US, maybe Pak's finally learning.' Might ask, though: what would have happened to Pakistan if they hadn't cooperated at some point in the past; e.g. immediately after 911, telling the US to go %$#@ themselves would have done what? e.g. if they'd refused drone operations much earlier, what would've been different (would it really even have meant fewer killed/maimed)? I'd love to read a good au contrare to: Right now is the best opportunity they've had to shed that US skin…even if reasons for that don't flatter Pakistani politicians(?).
persnipoles
December 9th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
I think that question might also be phrased (or might lead to): To what extent and in what 'direction' are they shaping the dialogue and political landscape by eliminating participants? By analogy, what was accomplished by bumping off MLK (among others with less of an enduring image)?
adh
December 9th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
Is it old fashioned for a reporter to offer a dateline before his report that tells from where he is reporting? How about: Islamabad, Dec 8, 2011, by Jason Ditz. In a public hearing before Pakistan's Senate Defense Committee, Major General Ashfaq said . . . .
What is being taught in schools of jounalism?