Bush approved secret orders for Pakistan raids -NYT

US: President George W. Bush secretly approved orders in July allowing U.S. special forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without approval from the Pakistan government, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The disclosure is certain to further anger Pakistan’s military, whose Army chief said on Wednesday that Pakistan would not allow foreign troops to conduct operations on its soil, after a cross-border incursion last week by U.S. commandos.

The new orders reflect concern about safe havens for al Qaeda and the Taliban inside Pakistan and an American view Pakistan lacks the will and ability to combat militants, the Times said.

“The situation in the tribal areas is not tolerable,” said a senior U.S. official who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity. “We have to be more assertive. Orders have been issued.”

The newspaper said the orders also reflected a belief some U.S. operations had been compromised once Pakistanis were advised of the details.

Helicopter-borne U.S. commandos carried out a ground assault in Pakistan’s South Waziristan. The raid killed 20 people, including women and children.

Washington, Thursday,

Reuters