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US drone attacks have Pakistan 's approval: Washington Post

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Nov 18, IRNA
Pakistan-US-Report
Washington Post reports that US and Pakistani governments reached a deal in September that allows US drone attacks into Pakistani Tribal area.

Officials describe the deal as one in which the US government refuses to publicly acknowledge the attacks while Pakistan's government continues to complain noisily about the politically sensitive strikes, the Post reported.

The newspaper further reports that the deal enables Pakistan to publicly protest against the US led air strikes in Federally Administered Tribal Ares (FATA) without the fear of contradiction.

It is for the second time in the last few days, the Washington Post has stated that there is a secret deal between Pakistan and the United States.

Despite the strong protest by the Pakistani government the Predator strikes in tribal territories are not coming to a halt.

The newspaper indicates that an understanding on air strikes contributes to the suspension of ground assaults into Pakistan by helicopter-borne US commandos. Pakistan had vigorously protested a September 3, US ground attack inside the FATA.

However, in Islamabad, a senior Pakistani official denied any understanding with the United States on drone attacks in the tribal areas.

Foreign office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq described the Washington Post report as baseless.

The Foreign Office spokesman said the American media kept publishing baseless reports on such agreements.

What is interesting about the said arrangement between Washington and Islamabad is that the government has claimed the contrary in parliament and continues to make public protests whenever a Predator strike takes place.

Pakistan Army Chief had also once said that the country's borders would be defended at all cost and no external force would be allowed to conduct operations inside Pakistan.

Majority of Pakistanis termed the statement as the reflection of their sentiments against terror war as most of the people in Pakistan do not consider the war on terror as their war.

The statement had also said that the rules of engagement with the coalition forces are well defined and within that, the right to conduct operations against the militants inside own territory is solely the responsibility of the respective armed forces.

The Pakistani government has been facing severe criticism from its public on the series of US-led forces attacks in tribal region.

It is a fact that all American military actions in Pakistani territory did not hit the Al-Qaeda elements but killed innocent people including women and children and that had increased anti-American sentiment in Pakistani public.

According to the Post report, President Zardari said in an interview to the newspaper that he receives no prior notice of the air strikes and that he disapproves of them.

But he said he gives the Americans the benefit of the doubt that their intention is to target the Afghan side of the ill-defined, mountainous border of Pakistan 's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), even if that is not where the missiles land.

The Post also quoted a senior Pakistani official as saying that the US-Pakistani understanding over the air strikes is "the smart middle way for the moment".

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