US Considering Formal Apology

[Zarvan]

WASHINGTON: The Obama administration is considering to tender an apology on the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers in Nato attack on a border post in November, The New York Times reported.

A senior American military commander is expected to travel to Pakistan this month in what Obama administration officials say is the first step toward thawing a strategic relationship that has been in effect frozen for more than two months.

Gen. James N. Mattis, the head of the military's Central Command, will meet Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani Army chief of staff, to discuss the investigations of an exchange of fire at the Afghan border that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, as well as new border coordination procedures to prevent a recurrence of the episode.

General Mattis's visit, the first by a high-ranking American official since the cross-border confrontation in November, was to have begun Thursday, but has been postponed by at least a week pending what is expected to be a spirited debate in the Pakistani Parliament over a new security policy toward the United States.

Pakistani and American officials are quietly optimistic that both events will trigger a chain of public engagement and private negotiations that will reboot the two nations' frayed strategic relationship, although along more narrowly defined lines than before.

Pakistani officials say they will probably reopen NATO supply lines running through their territory, which have been closed for more than two months. The State Department is supporting a proposal circulating in the administration for the United States to issue a formal apology for the deaths of the Pakistani soldiers in the Nov. 26 air strike by American gunships.

"We've felt an apology would be helpful in creating some space," said an American official who has been briefed on the State Department's view and who spoke on the condition of anonymity as internal discussions continued.

 

[Icewolf]

AFTER 2 MONTHS?!

 

[Windjammer]

Gen Mattis likely to discuss Nov 26 NATO attack, new border coordination procedures to avoid such incidents in future


KARACHI: Officials in the United States Department of State are said to have been supporting a proposal circulating in the administration for the US to issue a formal apology over the deaths of Pakistani soldiers in the November 26 Nato airstrike, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
The daily quoted a US official, briefed on the State Department’s view, as saying, “We’ve felt an apology would be helpful in creating some space.”
Earlier, the White House had said that US President Barack Obama will not issue a formal apology or condolences on the deaths.
Additionally, as a first step towards thawing frosty strategic ties between United States and Pakistan by the Obama administration, the head of United States military’s Central Command (Centcom) General James N Mattis is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan this month to meet Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
The New York Times reported that General Mattis is likely to discuss investigations of the November 26 attack by Nato forces that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, along with new border coordination procedures to avoid such incidents in the future.
US Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner had earlier countered a report that General Mattis’ trip to brief Pakistan over the Nato-Isaf investigation report of the attack had been cancelled, saying that the trip had postponed due to internal political dynamics of Pakistan.
Officials in the US and Pakistan think that the talks between General Mattis and General Kayani will set off a sequence of negotiations and engagements that will revive the tattered relationships between the two countries.
Pakistan, hours after the Nato-Isaf report was launched had rejected it, calling it “short on facts” and also had declined US’ offer to become a part of the joint probe. While the US inquiry places major blame on Nato, it maintains that Pakistani soldiers fired first.
The US, through back channels, has hinted at coming up with a clear stance on the Nato attacks in order to pacify resentment in Pakistan.
Pakistan has also recently hinted at resuming Nato supply lines which have been closed down for over a period of two months.
Pakistan Ambassador to US Sherry Rehman had met with General Mattis in Washington. In the meeting, Rehman had stressed the need for both countries to work together to build a relationship that is “equitable, transparent and predictable.”
Rehman had added that Pakistan endured the most sacrifices out of any country in the war against terror, and that they had also contributed the most towards successes in the war.
The Centcom Commander had acknowledged Pakistan’s contribution, especially the close cooperation of Pakistani military with Nato/Isaf forces stationed in Afghanistan. General Mattis had also stressed the importance of continued collaboration between both countries at all levels.

US considering formal apology for NATO attacks: Report – The Express Tribune

 

[Windjammer]

U.S. Sending Commander to Repair Ties With Pakistan

WASHINGTON — A senior American military commander is expected to travel to Pakistan this month in what Obama administration officials say is the first step toward thawing a strategic relationship that has been in effect frozen for more than two months.

Gen. James N. Mattis, the head of the military’s Central Command, will meet Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani Army chief of staff, to discuss the investigations of an exchange of fire at the Afghan border that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, as well as new border coordination procedures to prevent a recurrence of the episode.

General Mattis’s visit, the first by a high-ranking American official since the cross-border confrontation in November, was to have begun Thursday, but has been postponed by at least a week pending what is expected to be a spirited debate in the Pakistani Parliament over a new security policy toward the United States.

Pakistani and American officials are quietly optimistic that both events will trigger a chain of public engagement and private negotiations that will reboot the two nations’ frayed strategic relationship, although along more narrowly defined lines than before.

Pakistani officials say they will probably reopen NATO supply lines running through their territory, which have been closed for more than two months. The State Department is supporting a proposal circulating in the administration for the United States to issue a formal apology for the deaths of the Pakistani soldiers in the Nov. 26 airstrike by American gunships.

“We’ve felt an apology would be helpful in creating some space,” said an American official who has been briefed on the State Department’s view and who spoke on the condition of anonymity as internal discussions continued.

Soon after the lethal airstrike, the White House decided that President Obama would not offer formal condolences to Pakistan, overruling State Department officials who argued for such a show of remorse to help salvage relations. Pentagon officials had balked, saying the statements from other American officials had been sufficient. Some administration aides said at the time that they worried that if Mr. Obama decided to overrule the military and apologize to Pakistan, it could become ammunition for his Republican opponents in the presidential campaign.

A State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, would not comment on the proposal on Monday.

American election politics are also on the mind of Pakistani strategists. A senior security official in Islamabad, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly on the issue, said the military was cognizant of Mr. Obama’s domestic political constraints, and noted that Pakistan may also have elections this year, probably in the fall.

“Unfortunately there is election fever on both sides of the divide this year,” the official said. “That limits the room for maneuver.”

The director of the State Department’s policy planning office, Jake Sullivan, signaled last month that relations could improve soon.

Speaking to foreign journalists in Washington on Jan. 25, Mr. Sullivan said, “We will see over the course of the next several weeks an intensive period of work to deal with the very real issues that continue to exist between the United States and Pakistan in our relationship.”

American officials in Washington said the thaw had already started, unofficially. Relations between the C.I.A. and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, or ISI, had slowly improved since the nadir after the raid that killed Osama bin Laden last May, they said.

Intelligence officials from the two countries have resumed discussions about “joint targeting,” officials here added — probably a reference to C.I.A.-directed drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal belt. On the military side, Pakistan’s generals had started discussions over border coordination and the resumption of Coalition Support Funds, the main United States subsidy to Pakistani military operations.

A senior Pakistani security official also struck a cautiously positive note. “We have to meet, we have to talk, we have to bring this relationship back on track,” he said. “Both of us need each other. But from now on there will be no free rides, no carte blanche — things need to be institutionalized.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/w...n-james-n-mattis-to-repair-pakistan-ties.html

 

[graphican]

What do Americans think.. is an appology a compesation for the lives of the ones it assessinated? If an applogy is compensation, Pakistan should kill an equal number of American soldiers in uniform and 3 months later file an applogy. America lives in the same world where rest of the humans live and there must be cap on the arrogance this tarnished mindset have.

Applogy is needed as one of the corrective elements but its not everything. USA must compensate families who it made to suffer + own full responsibility of the incident punishing the ones who were behind this massacre + Must make all promises and sign agreements to never let anything like that happen again.

AAANNNNDD Future Implications of such attack must be decided and if USA does this inhuman act again, those agreed panelties must apply again - which may include a unilateral action from Pakistan on the people, posts or soldiers (who-ever they are, wherever they are) to punish the culprits.

SOUNDS HARSH? Oh yes this is exactly what USA would have done to any contry if its soldiers were killed. American blood is not any thicker and we don't run water in our blood vessels. Your money or arrogance doesn't make you more human than us. If you cannot give respect, you cannot take it either.

 

[farhan_9909]

seems like they cnt afford to pay millions per month on nato supply

so they are gonna apologize just to open supply route

 

[Irfan Baloch]

this is a big shift in American attitude because it has never ever apologized
even to the British in any of the blue on blue incidents
the best that has happened is that the families of the victims are granted a phone call of condolence from an American General or someone from US state department.

dont confuse it with a type of apology that one is normally accustomed to. it will still be an expression of regret with the undertone threats. nothing personal but thats how the sole superpower operates. going soft or showing itself weak to a much maligned country will not show fairly to the American public when the republicans are already beating the war drums declaring a covert or overt war on Iran.

Pakistan needs to take a decision here,

either to completely cut off ties with Americans and totally disassociate with that they got to say about anything at all.
or rewrite the new working relationship until the peaceful settlement in Afghanistan is reached

the first option is impractical and will only delay American withdrawal and cause more problems for Pakistan. I cant comment about accepting or rejecting the apology (although there is a remote chance of that happening) because its the decision of the families of the victims to take. what is more important is to see a change in attitude and ensuring the SOPs and ROE are followed with better communication and prevention of any similar incidents in the future,


by the way

PPP Govt is already supporting the compromise

http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/07/ahmad-mukhtar-urges-reopening-border-to-nato.html

 

[KRAIT]

Pakistan should talk of accepting apology if they provide compensation of all the damages NATO has done, infrastructure and human lives. And ask them to stop drone attacks and instead give the location of suspected terrorists to Pak army to take action. Toll charges should also be asked to pay. Until these demands are fulfilled, no apology acceptance, no supply opening.

 

[Secur]

Where are those who said that the closure of NATO routes hasn't affected the US much ? ... Why this much desperation for getting Pakistan back in the camp then ? I would love to hear the reaction of those who said Pakistan isn't important in Afghan scenario ...

 

[cheekybird]

OBL shouldve apologised for 9/11....damn

 

[KRAIT]

Where are those who said that the closure of NATO routes hasn't affected the US much ? ... Why this much desperation for getting Pakistan back in the camp then ? I would love to hear the reaction of those who said Pakistan isn't important in Afghan scenario ...

Most of them don't understand that no one knows afghanistan's routes and conditions, afghani tactics than pak army. Also they don't understand what logistical nightmare is created resulting in lack of resources due to only a week of stopping the supplies.

 

[Irfan Baloch]

OBL shouldve apologised for 9/11....damn

hehe
he shouldn't have started his global terrorism against the world
which actually meant that the Americans got an excuse to Invade countries.

I think he should have apologized instead of tossing one of his wives at the US SEAL when they found his hideout in Abbotabad.

---------- Post added at 04:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:00 PM ----------

Where are those who said that the closure of NATO routes hasn't affected the US much ? ... Why this much desperation for getting Pakistan back in the camp then ? I would love to hear the reaction of those who said Pakistan isn't important in Afghan scenario ...

they are still there where they were before

in their own behinds thats why whenever they talked it was either bullshit or a fart.

 

[KRAIT]

hehe
he shouldn't have started his global terrorism against the world
which actually meant that the Americans got an excuse to Invade countries.

I think he should have apologized instead of tossing one of his wives at the US SEAL when they found his hideout in Abbotabad.

Yes, i think he had enough wives to give each to members of US SEALs.

@topic
Why don't they show the pics of OBL to pakistan's public as a part of apology?

 

[Secur]

Most of them don't understand that no one knows afghanistan's routes and conditions, afghani tactics than pak army. Also they don't understand what logistical nightmare is created resulting in lack of resources due to only a week of stopping the supplies.

Yeah , they think that the US army can do everything , like it is invincible ... and when they say everything , I can tell you they mean everything ( even if it is impossible ) ... Last time , a person here was telling me how US can transport the cargo from the mainland US to Afghanistan ( without even thinking about the geography of Afghanistan ) ... It was really funny ... On topic ... It is too much expensive for the US to use the NDN route and now it has become the primary one meaning more stress on the recession hit US economy and the Russians are already blackmailing them on the missile defense shield issue ... The US just wants a safe face saving exit from Afghanistan and nothing else ... They have failed to meet any of their objectives ...

 

[Secur]

they are still there where they were before

in their own behinds thats why whenever they talked it was either bullshit or a fart.

Let them enjoy then ... I will have a hearty laugh somewhere in 2014 when the NATO leaves Afghanistan defeated just like the Britain or USSR ...