US vacates Pakistan base amid drone debate

[Aamir Hussain]

One of the many usefulness of Shamsi Base for U.S was to spy on Iran. Throwing them out of Shamsi was a signal from Pakistan, among others, that we don't want to support you in your cause against Iran. Then Russia came into the scene with its statement of ceasing supply route through it. Linking current events can give us clear picture of big game being played and members of the teams involved.

This is not the reason for what is hapennig with Shamsi today. Pakistan in the past has strongly negated any move by US to use its soil and airspace to monitor Iranian activity even when Iran was actively smuggling Al-Qaeda operatives out of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

This action was not limted to just one or two incidents long time ago but as recently as last year certain equipment was not allowed to be installed after it had arrived on Pakistani soil.

But sadly Iran has not been forthcomming and cooperating with Pakistan on the BLA and other issues in Baluchistan. In fact they are part of atleast three countries that are actvily involved in subversive activities in the area.

 

[FireFighter]

This is not the reason for what is hapennig with Shamsi today. Pakistan in the past has strongly negated any move by US to use its soil and airspace to monitor Iranian activity even when Iran was actively smuggling Al-Qaeda operatives out of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

This action was not limted to just one or two incidents long time ago but as recently as last year certain equipment was not allowed to be installed after it had arrived on Pakistani soil.

But sadly Iran has not been forthcomming and cooperating with Pakistan on the BLA and other issues in Baluchistan. In fact they are part of atleast three countries that are actvily involved in subversive activities in the area.

What would Iran gain out of these subversive activities in Balochistan? I heard our military had has been helping the CIA to spy and create trouble in Iran, which has hampered our relations with Iran.

 

[53fd]

Last plane home: FC, CAA officials reach Shamsi base

QUETTA: The last cargo aircraft to take back American personnel and equipment from Shamsi airbase sits on the tarmac in Washuk district, watching the Balochistan Frontier Constabulary takeover the vacated guard positions as the clock ticks down to the eviction deadline, now only hours away.

Express News on Saturday reported that Pakistani security forces had reached the base along with Civil Aviation authorities. As the security of the base was taken over by the Pakistanis, the aviation officials surveyed the base, now largely bereft of Americans, including drones.

Sources say that much of the cargo and drones had been shifted to Afghanistan and the eviction is due to be complete when the deadline expires tomorrow.

Pakistan had served a 15 day notice to US to pack up and leave the air strip, located some 300 km south of Quetta, Balochistan. The decision came after a NATO air strike on a Pakistani border post killed at least 24 soldiers, wounding a further 12, on November 26. Pakistan told US to leave the base, suspended fuel and other supplies through land routes, and pulled out from border coordination centers.

The Shamsi base, initially leased to the government of UAE in 1992, had been given to the US after it started Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in late 2001. US publicly says it uses the base for refuelling and running maintenance on its surveillance drone. However, it is believed that the US has also operated armed versions of its drones from the same air strip to attack targets in Afghanistan, and even in Pakistan.

Last plane home: FC, CAA officials reach Shamsi base – The Express Tribune

 

[sohail.ishaque]

VTXSouls: Pakistan concerned over Jewish presence at Shamsi Airbase

Islamabad: Pakistani security officials were shocked to see over two dozen Jewish soldiers at the Shamsi Airbase, deemed as a key station for launching airstrikes in Afghanistan and northwestern areas of Pakistan, sources said.
The sources said that the Pakistani officials visited the airbase for the immigration of US officials in the wake of cabinet decision to evacuate the base after a Nato raid in Mohmand Agency that killed 24 soldiers last month.
A security official requesting anonymity told that the Jewish soldiers were introduced to Pakistani officials as Americans, but Islamabad thinks that the Jewish soldiers were under cover agents of Israel and were deployed in Pakistan for espionage purpose.

 

[Awesome]

FC troops take over Shamsi Airbase | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

QUETTA/ISLAMABAD – The Pakistani security forces have taken over the control of Shamsi Airbase in Balochistan, according to a source from Kharan.

The source said a US plane landed at Shamsi Airbase on Saturday for shifting military equipment and American staff from there. He claimed that Frontier Corps Balochistan has effectively taken the control of the base.

It was also learnt that officials of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority have also reached the airbase for performing duties there. Shamsi Airbase was being used by US troops for drone attacks in Fata and other operations in south-western regions of Afghanistan. Following the Nato attack on Pakistan checkposts which killed 24 soldiers, Pakistan had asked US to vacate the base and set December 11 deadline for it.

While the Shamsi base is reported to have been “technically” evacuated from the US forces, some 150 to 200 American personnel, reported to be the security guards and supporting staff at the facility, have not left as yet. An Afghanistan-bound military flight would purportedly carry these personnel to Kabul during late hours today.

According to credible sources, Pakistan does not intend to use the aforesaid airfield for military purposes once the country gets its administrative control owing to the security related sensitivities having evolved given that the same facility has remained in the use of American military and air force for over a decade. Secondly, before the facility was handed over to the US forces in October 2001, Shamsi base did not have any strategic or military importance for Pakistan and was used as hunting ground for Arab royalties from United Arab Emirates who had acquired the base on lease in 1991, reportedly.

Informed government officials shared with this newspaper that the proposal to use Shamsi airbase as an airport was on the cards but no decision was finalised as yet. For the time being, the Frontier Corps (FC) would assume the base control while Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) may be assigned to run the affairs of the air facility by turning it into an airport.

Washuk, a rural district of Balochistan where Shamsi airbase is located, does not have any airport at the moment. FC, a paramilitary wing of Pakistan Army that is subordinated to the interior ministry, would keep partial presence in the facility till any final decision on Shamsi facility is made. Washuk was previously part of Kharan district and is still governed by Kharan’s district administration.

When contacted, General Manager Public Relations and CAA Spokesperson Pervaiz George expressed ignorance about the issue saying that it was within the government’s authority to take any such decision. “I have no idea in this regard.”

Kharan Deputy Commissioner Tufail Baloch told The Nation that Pakistani security agencies would take over Shamsi airbase once officially notified that the base was ready to be taken into possession. He said, deciding about Shamsi base future was a federal subject and it was therefore mandated to federal government to proceed accordingly.

Contrary to the speculations that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would acquire control of the Shamsi airbase in the coming days, the armed force has negated of having been privy to any development concerning the airfield. When inquired on Saturday, the PAF responded that it had no role, involvement or obligation pertaining to the aforesaid base. “PAF has nothing to do with it,” he said.

Leased to the United States soon after Pakistan became its “ally” in the war on terror following September 11 attacks, Shamsi airbase has attracted a lot of notoriety in recent years amid verified reports that the base was hotbed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) sponsored drones campaign in Pakistan’s north-western tribal region of Fata (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). Hundreds of drone-hits that reportedly killed several militants along with civilians had taken off from the same air facility.

However, after Pakistan went tough on the US and gave it 15-day deadline to “pack up” from Shamsi base on November 26 following the fatal attack on two Pakistan military pickets in Mohmand Agency killing 24 soldiers, the drone hits have seen a conspicuous halt.

According to Conflict Monitoring Centre’s last month report on CIA drone-hits in Waziristan region, four drone attacks were reported, three in North Waziristan and one in South Waziristan. Twenty-six to 37 militants were killed in these attacks that took place between November 3 to November 17.

 

[Lankan Ranger]

Pakistan take control of Shamasi base as U.S. troops pull out

Pakistan's border guards took control of the Shamasi Airbase, previously used by U.S. troops for drone airstrikes in border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the News Tribe newspaper said.

"51 U.S. troops have vacated the airbase and their luggage has been shifted to Afghanistan and FC [Frontier Corps] took the control of base," the paper said.

Islamabad gave the U.S. 15 days to leave the base on November 26 in response to a deadly NATO air strike on a checkpoint in the Mohmand tribal area in northwest Pakistan. The attack left at least 24 soldiers dead and 14 injured.

Shortly after the attack, Pakistan's authorities also closed one of NATO's key supply routes to Afghanistan, the so-called northern supply route through the Khyber Pass and Torham border post.

Pakistan forces take control of Shamasi base as U.S. troops pull out | World | RIA Novosti

 

[Pakistanisage]

Kick the American Bugg_ _S out and takeover the base.

 

[Lankan Ranger]

 

[Filmmaker]

So no more drone strikes from Pakistan's land

 

[Awesome]

Could be American Jews who are very common. You can't do anything now except expel them. Pakistan should have kept a better check on who among the Americans can and cannot come into Pakistan, which should be almost no one.

 

[TOPGUN]

Good get the F__k out and don't come back good news well over due GOD bless Pakistan.

 

[Omar1984]

This is good news.

Pakistanis need to take full control over their own country.

 

[SEAL]

Our Fazaiya knows nothing about the operations of Americans from Shamsi and our secret service didn't even bother to check out the number of soldiers and their nationality out there and irony is when such things happen we start abusing politicians. Some idiots are talking about coup my question is who will support them to take over, they cant even perform their duties properly how will they manage whole country?

I guess we are just wasting our money and if we spend just 5% of defense budget on health and education sector we can have world class education and health facilities within 5 years comparable to develop nations.

 

[OrionHunter]

Are Jews worse than the CIA?

Our Fazaiya knows nothing about the operations of Americans from Shamsi and our secret service didn't even bother to check out the number of soldiers and their nationality out there and irony is when such things happen we start abusing politicians.

By the way, Shamsi was leased by the Government of Pakistan to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1992 for hunting purposes and, between 20 October 2001 and 11 December 2011, it was in turn leased to the United States by the UAE and used as a base for joint Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and United States Air Force (USAF) surveillance and drone operations (particularly those involving Predator drones) against militants in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

On 13 May 2011, following the Abbotabad Incident of 2 May 2011, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, confirmed, in an in-camera briefing to a joint sitting of the Pakistani Parliament, that Shamsi was not under the control of the PAF, but under UAE control.

That being the case, the PA would have had little or no jurisdiction over the base. They would not even have been allowed to enter it, far from carrying out any checks inside.

 

[SEAL]

Are Jews worse than the CIA?

lol bharati what a comparison a religion vs secret service