The Pakistani parliament on Thursday unanimously declared that the U.S. must immediately stop violating its sovereignty, including through drone strikes.
The Guidelines for Revised Terms of Engagement with USA/NATO/ISAF states that the “U.S. footprint in Pakistan must be reviewed,” and demanded “an immediate cessation of drone attacks inside the territorial borders of Pakistan,” an immediate stop to all military incursions into Pakistani territory for any reason, and a prohibition on using Pakistani territory or airspace to supply NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has been saying as much for months, especially after U.S. warplanes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at an outpost in the Mohmand Agency last November. Supply routes to NATO troops in Afghanistan have been closed to the U.S. since then and, even though the Obama administration restarted the drone program in January, Islamabad has consistently condemned them as “unlawful.”
The decade-long war in Afghanistan has terribly destabilized Pakistan and the Obama administration’s drone program – the institutionalization of extra-judicial execution and mass murder of innocent men, women, and children – has caused immense suffering and resentment. The parliament’s declaration is therefore unsurprising.
The statement comes as Washington struggles desperately to negotiate an end to the useless war in Afghanistan. But Pakistan’s interests in Afghanistan have run counter to Washington’s since the beginning of the war. With the inevitable U.S. defeat and the impending withdrawal of combat troops in 2014, Pakistan can be expected to support Taliban sway in Afghanistan to counter the influence of its archenemy, India.
Pakistan’s new stay-out-of-our-affairs declaration is frankly a long time coming. And the political entanglements of the region are an indication of how remote Afghanistan and Pakistan are to U.S. interests and what a massive waste the last decade of murderous and misguided engagement in the area has been.
A U.S. Marine died Wednesday in Helmand province.
"what a massive waste the last decade of murderous and misguided engagement in the area has been"
A nice line by the author……………….. Yaa, I don't think ANYONE expects any ticker parades….. Think Vietnam War,….. Iraq, NOT WWII…!!! No doubt the fake conservatives AKA Chauvinists will say the Internet lost the war…. But Afghanistan, like Vietnam and Iraq has a long history of making their occupation just TOO expensive in men and treasure to go on very long…!!! The handwriting was/is there on the wall, unfortunately for the USA it's in Pasto and Urdu…………. If Imran Khan isn't a trojan whore like our "O"… then Pakistan will close the U.S./NATO show there after the next elections…
This article does make one wonder what CHANGE has caused this to occur and why NOW…???
''If Imran Khan isn't a trojan whore like our "O"… Nicely put.But as a Pakistani I gaurantee you we are all whores,maybe worse than that.
There is no space in our country's Feudalistic Democracy,our ARMY of the State and the world's most perfect Corrupt Bureaucratic Machinery that will allow Individuals like Imran khan to flourish their dream.Those above stated elements killed M.A Jinnah the founding Father of Pakistan,Liaqat Ali Khan the first PM of Pakistan and Bhutto,who atlast wanted to bring the crowed to jel as a nation.Nothing worked out so far.
Our Bureaucracy which constitutes Civil Administration,Army,Feudalistists and many others,they are your main clients for your Bucks,not me as a common man.
Our Army is as corrupt and Bananatised as other third world nation has got one.
Therefore please never mind if the have said all what the author has mentioned in his article.At the end of the day we expect same same.
At the endI just want to request all Antiwer readers please don't blame Pakistanis common people for the mess,though we are the real sufferers from the this all fiasco.
Thank you sir for your honesty. We average Americans are caught also. But, rest assured that this madness will not go on forever. We are with you! Ret us army
There is no such thing in Pakistan as Americans call it ''American Dream''.The inept system and and scattered culture in our society will least let Imran khan like people grow with their dreams.
Therefore as long as there is American Irrogance to rule over the world,countries like Pakistan will never see light at the end of the tunnel,unless the people decide otherwise,which for now they are not ready to.
So it will be same old story after this Parliamentery Resolution has passed,USD's will be filling the above the law pockets while America will carry on with their plans of expanism.
Bring home all the overseas troops now-start with racist & anti-american south korea..-STOP THIS MEDDLING IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS..Read Washington's farewell address–i dare you…RET US ARMY
That border wont be open for supply anymore, just forget about it Obama
We are from the government and we are here to help you. I am sure that is what they tell our ally before we kill some of them. I guess our government feels that Pakistan should feel happy that we have not pulled a full invasion like the fiasco in Iraq. I know if the showed me the disaster they caused by that bush invasion of Iraq I would be willing to try to ignore that my nation is being invaded.
The Paks have been demanding that the US/EU/NATO cease the drone strikes for years… I wonder what makes them think that the ISAF is going to start listening now? Even closing the supply routes from Karachi hasn't curtailed these violations of Pakistani sovereignty. So, is the Pakistani parliament toothless and all this new demanding just a salve for the home crowd or will the Paks have to poke the Superpower in the eye, again, perhaps with a little more forcefulness?
"…will the Paks have to poke the Superpower in the eye, again, perhaps with a little more forcefulness?"
There are many interesting aspects of this new style of warfare by drone. (I keep waiting for the other side to start using a "back at you, and how do you feel about drones now?" campaign, using cheap commercially available wireless and automobiles rather than aircraft,… But that's a topic for another time.) Right now I'm thinking about the fact that the Predators and Reapers — all the non-stealthy drones — are utterly defenseless, lack maneuverability, fly very slowly, and would be, in general, very very easy to shoot down.
Consequently, the Pakistanis, should they ever get serious, could instantly terminate the US drone campaign at any time. On the one hand they could be polite, and notify the US that henceforth they will shoot down any drone in their airspace, and that the US should avoid the embarrassment and expense that would result from forcing their hand that way. Or, in a far less "friendly" fashion, but unambiguous in its clarity, would be to just start shooting them down. My guess, it wouldn't take more than one shoot-down to get the message across and end the (non-stealthy) drone activity in Pakistani airspace.
You have to assume that the Pakistanis know this – they're not stupid – so, why haven't they done this if they're so dead set against the drones? Perhaps, as I said, it's just the parliament and not the military or ruling government that is against the drones. Perhaps the billions of $$$ that come their way each year is incentive enough to accept them – back channel only.
"Pakistan Calls for End to US Interventionism". NO Pakistan, don't you get it, YOU have to end it. Do you really think the US cares as to what you think or say.
It's time that countries threatened by Zio-US military interventions unite and form a solid block together with Iran, China, Russia and several South American nations.
I believe that Bush is/was a war criminal for the wars he started in Afghanistan & Iraq-Obama is no different. Why have our children died there-why have we killed so many people there? Why have we all been lied to? Why are we all so numb to these events? Why do we think we have the right to be involved in dictating policies in other countries? Why do we think we have the right to run other countries? Why are we involved with Pakistan against their wishes?
BUT-
A question I would ask of Pakistan's corrupt officials–how can they ask the US to leave but still take money from the US–I have not heard a word about Pakistan and other countries whose criminal and corrupt officials reject US payoffs. With payoffs come strings–I think these countries need to take the blame along with the US.
I believe the US has committed war crimes in these areas–but in many (most) of these countries their government and officials have committed crimes against their own people–they also are to blame. They should be held accountable along with the US.