Pakistan says any US strike on its soil unacceptable

PAKISTAN: Islamabad said Monday that US threats of possible strikes against militant targets within Pakistan’s tribal territories were “ill-conceived” as well as “irresponsible and dangerous.”

Pakistan, battling an upsurge in Islamist violence, has been angered by US remarks that Washington would not rule out unilateral attacks in Pakistan’s Afghan border areas where pro-Taliban tribal leaders hold sway.

“We have stated in the clearest terms that any attack inside our territory would be unacceptable,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told a weekly briefing after the latest comments by US intelligence chief Mike McConnell.

“Like any other country, we remain deeply concerned over the possibility of Al-Qaeda or any other terrorist entity establishing a sanctuary or regrouping or regenerating inside our territory,” she said.

But Aslam warned that any foreign intervention in its tribal areas would be counterproductive and draw public anger.

“We do not want our efforts to be undermined by any ill-conceived action from any quarter that is inconsistent with the principles of international law and would be deeply resented in the tribal areas and generally in Pakistan.”. She added that such action would be “irresponsible and dangerous.”

McConnell, the US director of national intelligence, earlier said he believed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was alive and sheltering in the frontier zone.

White House Homeland Security Adviser Frances Townsend also reaffirmed earlier US comments when asked whether the United States would use “direct military force” against Al-Qaeda or Taliban elements inside Pakistan.

“No question that we will use any instrument at our disposal to deal with the problem of Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri and Al-Qaeda,” she told CNN, referring to bin Laden’s number two Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Aslam said Islamabad and Washington were partners in counter-terrorism and the basis of their cooperation was “well-defined and well understood.”

“It would be counterproductive to create an impression of any divergences or differences on the issue of counter-terrorism or take any step detrimental to our counter-terrorism cooperation,” she said.

But she stressed: “All counter-terrorism measures inside Pakistan will be taken by our own security forces.”

The spokeswoman reiterated Pakistan’s stance that if the United Satees or another country had information about Al-Qaeda’s presence on its territory they should inform Pakistani authorities who were capable of taking action.

“We are committed and we will take firm action on the basis of information gathered by us through our own means or concrete and actionable intelligence shared with us,” she said. Meanwhile.the US military has offered to provide air support and “supporting fires” for Pakistani military operations against Al-Qaeda but in the past has been rebuffed, US defense officials said Monday.

General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, disclosed the offer of US military and intelligence assistance on Friday in a meeting in Schweinfurt, Germany with family members of US troops.

Pace’s comments were first reported by a CNN correspondent traveling with the general. Defense officials on Monday confirmed his remarks but said the offer was not new, but rather of a longstanding character.

Nevertheless, it comes amid intensifying US pressure on Musharraf to take military action against Al-Qaeda safe havens in the tribal areas along the border Afghanistan.

A US defense official who was present at the meeting in Germany said Pace talked about US military and intelligence assistance to Pakistan in the context of a long relationship with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

“He did say ‘kinetic.’ He also said ‘intel sharing,’” said the official, referring to notes.

The official said that when asked later what he meant by “kinetic,” Pace said, “Air support, supporting fires. If he (Musharraf) were to ask, we would see how we might be able to help. I’m not predicting anything.’”

Pace said the offer did not include US ground troops.

“Supporting fires” usually refers to artillery or rocket fire which could be delivered over long distances from US positions near the border.

Islamabad, Tuesday, AFP