Just ignore this US Enterprise news. There is no reliable source.
Pakistan calls again for NATO strike apology
2 hours ago
KABUL: Pakistan on Thursday called again for an apology for a NATO cross-border strike that killed two dozen of its soldiers last year before it considers reopening supply routes to foreign troops in Afghanistan.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, speaking to reporters in the Afghan capital Kabul, also rejected reports that Pakistan was haggling with the United States over transportation fees for the supplies.
“Pakistan still wants an unconditional apology and the reassurance that the Salala type of incident does not happen again,” she said, referring to the border area where the incident took place.
The supply lines for goods shipped to Karachi and trucked to Afghanistan have been vital for US-led forces in their involvement in the landlocked country, a conflict now in its eleventh year.
Now, the routes are seen as important for the withdrawal of most foreign troops from Afghanistan before the end of 2014.
The United States has rebuffed Pakistan’s demands for an apology for the air strike in November and last week Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said the United States was at the limits of its patience over the existence of safe havens for militants in Pakistan who were carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.
Khar said Pakistan was not supporting any militant group and that it was doing whatever it could to advance the peace process in Afghanistan which she said must be “Afghan-led, Afghan-owned.”
China user
Bravo Pakistan, the way you guys have been dealing with arrogant US, i salute you Pakistan, No nation have done like this, you have broken their arrogance, almost. Pakistan have really played their card well, no matter whatever the pressure US was putting on Pakistan, it was back firing. So US just bite the bullet…. Oooo..YeaH….Pakistan Zindabad. Pak-China Friendship Zindabad.
US should apologize to Pakistan for Salala incident: Dianne Feinstein
28 minutes ago
WASHINGTON: Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairperson of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, has called upon the US administration to extend an apology to Pakistan for Salala firing incident on November 26 last year, which resulted in the death of 24 soldiers.
She was speaking during a hearing of Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Defense Wednesday, in which US Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey were testifying.
“I understand that mistakes were made on both sides in November 26 incident. ISAF commander, Gen. John Allen has identified 6-7 steps to rectify the problem,” she recalled while referring to a meeting of US Senators with Gen. Allen, in which the latter took the legislators into confidence with regards to the events that led to the Salala incident.
“GLOCs problem could be solved with some civilian acceptance of mistakes by the US,” she said while referring to the ground supply routes for NATO forces from northwest Pakistan that were suspended as a mark of protest by the host government after the Nov 26 incident.
“The US administration would do well to apologize for its mistakes in the firing incident,” she said adding that this would also help in the reopening of GLOCs.
“National security of the United States will be better served with a positive relationship with Pakistan,” she emphasised in a rare show of positive gesture towards Pakistan on the Capitol Hill.
US Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, responding to the Senator, termed the US relationship with Pakistan ‘complicated, but important’. “It s a complicated relationship but it is a necessary relationship, by virtue of our security needs in that area,” he opined.
Issue of apology is also one of the points being discussed with Pakistan, although mistakes were made on both sides,” he conceded. “We offered condolences, but that is not the only issue now, they are asking for something else too,” he said hinting at a possible high tariff per truck demanded by Pakistan for such communication in future.
“GLOCs are still under negotiations, and discussions continue as to how we can resolve it,” he said adding that apology was not the only sticking point in the negotiations for ground supply routes. “Other elements are also in these negotiations that need to be resolved for reopening of GLOCs,” he clarified.
Secretary Panetta also revealed that the closure of routes from Pakistan had forced US to reply on expensive northern network. “Expensive northern route are being used because closure of ground routes from Pakistan is a problem,” he said adding that the “US is incurring 100 million dollars per month additional because of closure of GLOCs from Pakistan.”
When Senator Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina) asked Secretary Panetta about his views regarding cutting-off aid to Pakistan altogether, the Secretary adopted a cautious approach. “Would you recommend shutting-down aid to Pakistan?” asked Senator Graham. “I ll be very careful about shutting down aid to Pakistan. I would expect them to do what they have to do,” Secretary Panetta responded.