US Report: Attack on Pakistani Military Bases ‘Justified’ and ‘Appropriate’

Officials Say Errors 'On Both Sides' Caused Killings

In a move that will finally cap the Obama Administration’s promise of a “thorough” investigation of the November 26 attack on a pair of Pakistani military base, the Department of Defense has released a statement insisting there was no wrongdoing on the American side.

Claiming that the Pakistanis “fired first,” the report will determine that the US troops acted “appropriately” and that the killings of 24 Pakistani soldiers were “ultimately justified.” The statement will express “sincere condolences” to the families of the slain.

At the same time, the report will say that the attack was not deliberate and that the warplanes didn’t know they were attacking clearly marked military bases, a fact which the report will blame on “poor communication” from the Pakistani side.

The Pakistani government insists the attack was deliberate, and points out that NATO was apologizing for the strike even as the bombs continued to fall. The warplanes continued to attack the bases for two hours after the first calls to cease fire.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.