NATO choppers kill 3 Pakistani soldiers: officials

[Turborama]

Source: AFP

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — NATO helicopters Thursday shelled a Pakistani paramilitary checkpoint and killed three soldiers in the fourth cross-border attack in days, Pakistani security officials said.

"It was an unprovoked attack that took place early Thursday morning. NATO helicopters entered our airspace and targeted a paramilitary checkpost killing three soldiers and wounding three others," a senior security official told AFP.

=snip=

Pakistani security officials said the incident took place in Mandati Kandaw village northwest of Parachinar, the main town of Kurram district close to Afghan border in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt.

"NATO helicopters intruded up to five kilometres (three miles) into Pakistan's airspace," the Pakistani security official said. Another Pakistani security official confirmed the attack and said security forces had taken "suitable measures to respond to such acts of aggression, which will be known to people very soon."

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jmBcK2pCWMA26djWDsx2w15Bm2iQ?docId=CNG.164caa25dc9f9cd73359c4be468ff1ec.6f1

[pinboy3niner]

1. If true, this is a tragic and majorly f'd up mistake

And it could have serious consequences for Pakistan's cooperation. What's next--Pakistani security forces shooting down NATO choppers?

[Downwinder]

2. Sounds like a Cambodia and Laos replay. Carpet bombing next?

[pinboy3niner]

3. Exactly

The existence of sanctuaries across the border and the cross-border air and ground ops (including a recent 'hot pursuit') remind me of Cambodia and the U.S. 'incursions' there.

[Turborama]

4. Regarding the "serious consequences for Pakistan's cooperation"

Have you seen this yet? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4558989

If proved to be true, the Pakistanis could class it as an "act of war", but I don't think they'd want to.

Especially when considering the video that's just been released:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/world/asia/30pstan.html

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/09/2010930102124776944.html

ETA:

:toast: :hi:

[pinboy3niner]

5. They sure acted quickly

I think you're right--they won't go that far, but they can sure make things difficult for U.S. operations in both countries.

Thanks for the links, Turborama. :toast:

[Turborama]

6. You're welcome. Sen. Kerry acted quickly, too...

Kerry, Pakistan PM Gilani, discuss NATO strike

WASHINGTON — Senior US Senator John Kerry said Thursday he and Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had discussed a NATO strike inside Pakistan that roiled ties between the uneasy "war on terrorism" allies.

"We had a good conversation about it. I think we will work through this," Kerry told AFP after Pakistan shut down the main land route for NATO supplies into Afghanistan after charging the NATO raid killed Pakistani troops. "Obviously they are concerned -- and ought to be -- when there is collateral damage. We need to try to avoid it, and we do," said Kerry, who as Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman has worked to improve US ties to Pakistan.

The senior Democratic lawmaker has made multiple trips to the region and shepherded legislation to vastly increase US assistance to Pakistan in a bid to soothe Islamabad's historic mistrust of Washington. "They have some very critical day to day challenges right now and I think that's really what's preoccupying them to the greatest degree," Kerry said, without elaborating

=snip=

A Pakistan military spokesman in a statement said two helicopters from Afghanistan used cannon fire against an outpost of the Frontier Corps located 200 meters (650 feet) inside Pakistan. When troops at the post retaliated with rifle fire to show the helicopters were entering Pakistan territory, the aircraft fired two missiles, destroying the site, killing three of the six Frontier Corps there, the spokesman said.

More: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hhST3PxsH9Hmc6nHR12XWdawlMPw?docId=CNG.f7300ef74beeac43ac28cc1528e9eb16.5e1

[Turborama]

7. Rachel Maddow thinks this means we are going to war with Pakistan

I think she's wrong.


U.S. test-drives scary new war in Pakistan
By The Rachel Maddow Show - Fri Oct 1, 2010 10:38 AM EDT
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/10/01/5213537-us-test-drives-scary-new-war-in-pakistan

Thoughts....

[Downwinder]

8. I hope you are right and she is wrong.

The problem is not in getting in, but in getting out.