Report: Bush Gave Permission for US Raids on Pakistan
By VOA News
11 September 2008
A U.S. newspaper is reporting that President George Bush gave secret orders in July authorizing U.S. armed forces to carry out ground assaults in Pakistan without seeking approval from Pakistan's government.
The New York Times newspaper quotes senior U.S. officials who said the military will notify Pakistan's government when it conducts raids, but will not seek its permission.
The officials, who insisted on remaining anonymous, said the orders are part of a broader push to assert U.S. control over the Afghan-Pakistani border, considered a stronghold for the Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistan's army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, criticized Wednesday a recent series of suspected U.S. raids in Pakistan, vowing to defend the country's sovereignty "at all costs." Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday said the army chief's statement reflects government views.
In related news, the chief of the U.S. military says his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan will tackle what he calls the "common insurgency" in the tribal areas on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, said Wednesday the U.S. and its allies cannot "kill our way to victory" in Afghanistan. He said Afghanistan needs more international help to improve its rule of law and economic development.
President Bush announced Tuesday that he will increase U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan by 1,500 by February. U.S. commanders there have requested about 10,000 additional troops.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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