Pakistanis admit helping Mehsud missile strike

[TruthSeeker]

Pakistanis admit helping Mehsud missile strike

Sunday, August 09, 2009, Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Local intelligence officials acknowledged on Saturday that a CIA missile strike that allegedly killed Baitullah Mehsud was carried out with Islamabad's help, indicating growing coordination between the two countries against the Taliban, despite Pakistan's official disapproval of the strikes.

Two Pakistani intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the CIA launched the missiles after Pakistan passed along a confirmed report that Baitullah was staying at his father-in-law's home.

A video of the attack was also shared with Pakistani authorities. In it, Mehsud was clearly visible, said one of the officials. The official declined to give more specifics, such as exactly where Mehsud was, but said his body was destroyed.

Pakistan has routinely condemned the American missile strikes, saying they violate its sovereignty and anger the local population, especially when civilians are killed. Analysts suspect the public stance is simply a face-saving measure for the government, and that it is secretly cooperating in the attacks. In any case, the strike that killed Mehsud appears to be a huge boon for Pakistan, and it might nudge the country to go after Taliban leaders the US sees as a greater threat to its interests in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Awesome]

Well it's no secret we've given coordinates for missile strikes on Baitullah Mehsud before to the American as well.

I think this settles the debate about who gets the 50m rupees. A little weird using the word "admit", as it should be "proudly claims" instead.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I think this settles the debate about who gets the 50m rupees. A little weird using the word "admit", as it should be "proudly claims" instead.

The word "admit" is used, because, heretofore, there has been no such public admission. So the "admission" is, in and of itself, newsworthy. No, if the drone strike had "only" killed "innocents", such as BM's wife, father-in-law and children, would there have been a credit-taking "admission" by the GoP? What do you think? Is such an admission "courageous" when a high value target is killed? And is silence courageous when GoP intelligence is given BUT an HVT is not killed?

 

[Interceptor]

Yeah, in fact the Predator operates within Pakistan with our permission. The GoP makes the human cry of sovereignty at face but secretly it is with it. The only thing that the GoP is cross about is allowing Pakistanis to have the Predator. I am sure the Americans wouldn't mind giving us technology, but because the Predator is unmanned thats why dont want to give it. They rather give us something we need to have pilot in it(in plain words).

 

[Awesome]

The word "admit" is used, because, heretofore, there has been no such public admission. So the "admission" is, in and of itself, newsworthy. No, if the drone strike had "only" killed "innocents", such as BM's wife, father-in-law and children, would there have been a credit-taking "admission" by the GoP? What do you think? Is such an admission "courageous" when a high value target is killed? And is silence courageous when GoP intelligence is given BUT an HVT is not killed?

No argument there, lying would be the wrong play by the Pakistani government. However I also suspect that many strikes happen without Pakistan's consent too so they have deniability.

 

[Interceptor]

The word "admit" is used, because, heretofore, there has been no such public admission. So the "admission" is, in and of itself, newsworthy. No, if the drone strike had "only" killed "innocents", such as BM's wife, father-in-law and children, would there have been a credit-taking "admission" by the GoP? What do you think? Is such an admission "courageous" when a high value target is killed? And is silence courageous when GoP intelligence is given BUT an HVT is not killed?

Actually it has been admitted if you didn't know, people within the GoP have said so.

i.e The GoP wants drone attacks on militants and yes it isn't counter productive if we were doing it only when the Americans do it. But this will defiantly give credibility to drone attacks, I hope this opens new channels better intelligence sharing cooperation.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Actually it has been admitted if you didn't know, people within the GoP have said so.

Well, I agree it has been the most "open" of secrets, including that the drones actually take off and land from Pakistani soil. However, what I think is different here, and the reason I created the thread, is that the "admission" of GoP cooperation with CIA drone strikes has been "allowed" to be quoted as an "official" statement. Perhaps this isn't really true, either. Maybe this most "recent" admission of co-operation with the BM strike was no different than past reported "admissions", and the Daily Times report is just "hypeing" the story. That is, maybe the "admission" is not news at all, as you believe. I do not have the ability to follow the Urdu press.

 

[S-2]

The GoP has been absolutely consistent denying any assistance to PREDATOR strikes...

...until now.

Clearly, they can't afford to miss out on some of this glory, even if it means going back on all their two-faced protestations. How dare the Americans be able to reap the full value of removing this heinous enemy from Pakistan while the GoP appears helpless.

Of course, in any other case, how dare the Americans for unilaterally attacking your lands.

CEASE operating PREDATOR over Pakistan...

...but could you give us the gear to do the same...?

You guys can be so amazingly funny at times.

 

[Xeric]

What was the aim behind this thread?

 

[Awesome]

The GoP has been absolutely consistent denying any assistance to PREDATOR strikes...

...until now.

Clearly, they can't afford to miss out on some of this glory, even if it means going back on all their two-faced protestations. How dare the Americans be able to reap the full value of removing this heinous enemy from Pakistan while the GoP appears helpless.

Of course, in any other case, how dare the Americans for unilaterally attacking your lands.

CEASE operating PREDATOR over Pakistan...

...but could you give us the gear to do the same...?

You guys can be so amazingly funny at times.

Actually there is no shift here... The government proudly claimed that you guys were given coordinates for a missile attack on Baitullah before too... You guys refused to act. No denial from your boys either.

There was a problem with the drone attacks thats why they were condemned. You guys were shooting blind relying on the $100 bills bribe money you were handing out to tribal area kids for info.

You guys destroyed schools, villages, funeral processions, marriage processions... You guys were hitting everything but the militants. This is the FIRST worthwhile shot you guys have gotten. A ration of what... 1000 f-ups to 1?

Good job.

 

[Interceptor]

The GoP has been absolutely consistent denying any assistance to PREDATOR strikes...

...until now.

Clearly, they can't afford to miss out on some of this glory, even if it means going back on all their two-faced protestations. How dare the Americans be able to reap the full value of removing this heinous enemy from Pakistan while the GoP appears helpless.

Of course, in any other case, how dare the Americans for unilaterally attacking your lands.

CEASE operating PREDATOR over Pakistan...

...but could you give us the gear to do the same...?

You guys can be so amazingly funny at times.

No that was the former Gov who denied it in fact at times blamed it on themselves.

But the current GoP if you listen carefully has only complained it is counter productive.

The GoP isn't helpless if this was a threat we would have eliminated it like we did during the soviet war. Pakistan destroyed more planes on ground in Afghanistan than it did in the air. As if the PA cant strike you down, we are on your side rather it is that way. We can trigger a war in minutes and destroy a friendship that was arranged during our independence(more than 60 years old).

The funny bit is that the US went into destroy AQ and Taliban 8 years ago, now their negotiating a way out. Lol you guys make us laugh, this super power needs to learn some lessons from our Army how to fight a war. You guys have been hiding to long behind your bunkers and getting weak.

 

[PAFAce]

Pakistan has routinely condemned the American missile strikes, saying they violate its sovereignty and anger the local population, especially when civilians are killed. Analysts suspect the public stance is simply a face-saving measure for the government, and that it is secretly cooperating in the attacks.

That's hardly news. It would seem that you don't know the Pakistani government at all. By the way, it's been said by more than one American diplomat that Pakistan (or the Pakistani military, to be more specific) is assisting with air strike intel and information, especially since the step-up in activities in Swat. The Americans have called this a "welcome change". So now what's got you so hot? You no longer wish to share the jam now that you're finally getting good kills without unimaginable collateral damage? Similar air-strikes in Afghanistan, due to lack of ground intel, have been ending up in disasters. Should we sweep that fact under the mattress?

The two-faced part was when the Americans acted unilaterally, without prior consent or reliable intel, risking the lives of our civillians, and then calling on us to do more. That's stopped now, so I guess its unsatisfying when you have to share the fame with someone else. Good old Yanks, always willing to share the blame, as long as they did it, and never willing to share the rewards, as long as they did it. How can Uncle Sam require help from a poor little pathetic country like Pakistan? You're too big for us. Aren't you?

 

[Durran3]

This is hardly news though, everyone knows that it was a combined effort of both the Pakistani intelligence and the United States Military. End of Story! why are we discussing things that have nothing to do with the topic? I like both General Kayani and General petraeus, they've handled the situation pretty well over the past couple of months

 

[S-2]

"So now what's got you so hot?"

I think that what's missing is the open admittance of such by the GoP.

Doing so would mean you assist in these strikes. Assisting these strikes means you understand and accept that they are retaliation against targets within Pakistan whom threaten the safety of afghans, ISAF, and America. Understanding the need and accepting the American retaliatory strikes means you are helpless before the taliban's occupation of your lands and acquiesced to their de facto seizure of the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan.

That's not something you wish to publically confront before your citizens and the world. Nor do you wish to face telling your citizens that you DON'T support the afghan taliban's quest to dominate Afghanistan. Doing so would seem a bald-faced lie to them. Your citizens have been led by your well-publicized quest for "strategic depth" to understand otherwise.

Everybody and his brother has speculated on active intelligence assistance for PREDATOR strikes since September of 2008 when the Bush administration initiated the turnaround that ultimately led to the Bajaur operations. That's been obvious.

Here are recent comments by Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee-

"They politically do not have it inside themselves to tell the Pakistan people why we are doing it and that they are aware of it. They do not have that kind of political steel in their backbone. I have been in politics long enough to understand that. I do not condone it..."

and more-

"...I do not know how much that has been transmitted to the Pakistan people. I know it is transmitted through interviews in the London papers, but that is not the same as the President and the Head of the Army in Pakistan transmitting that to the Pakistani people themselves..."

Please find such here from just this last July 10th.

I think that it's clear from Levin's comments that we understand the duplicity at play. Anyway, just a little clarification to assure that you don't muddy the waters-

Your government has consistently DENOUNCED PREDATOR strikes. Nothing but. Suddenly, there are claims of assistance as you can't imagine permitting your public to believe that America accomplished such solely.

On B.M.? Too, too much P.R. at stake not to justify this one-time 180 degree bald-faced switch.

I can't wait to read how this has been the sole instance of cooperation and that Pakistan has been otherwise adamant about resisting our PREDATOR operations.

 

[Xeric]

The Pakistani estab and the US boots have been sharing intelligence since long, it's no secret. Yes we and you have been sharing info, so what's the fuss about? Now i dont know whether you use that info to direct drone attacks, plan operation on ground inside Afghanistan or just keep the info packed inside the files!

This is just another attempt to mislead the Pakistani public. Sharing info and then relating it with the consented drone attacks is childish!! BTW, why you people i mean the yanks here on PDF feel so happy when there is something that can create distrust among the Pakistani govt/military and the masses? Is it this that you are here in the forum?