The Nation, Pakistan

American-Led Forces Have Tendency of Going 'Berserk'

"NATO-led and U.S. troops have a tendency of going berserk. … Washington must be told plainly that Taliban and al-Qaeda remnants can only be contained through the willing cooperation of the local tribesmen - as has been occurring in South Waziristan."

EDITORIAL

May 11, 2007

Pakistan - The Nation - Original Article (English)

WHILE Islamabad continues to cooperate with the United States in its War on Terror, there must be well-defined limits to the support being extended. Such support must be in consonance with Pakistan's sovereignty and integrity. While we have been assured by the government that nothing is being done that could be termed detrimental to the national interest, reports that this might not always be the case continue to emanate from Washington.

In response to a question by Senator Byron Dorgan before the Senate Appropriations Committee regarding U.S. military missions in North Waziristan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates maintained that al-Qaeda activists are concentrated in Fata in the western part of Pakistan, and that the American military is conducting missions there to deal with them. Islamabad needs to clarify whether this means that U.S. forces are physically hunting al-Qaeda in Fata, as is being suggested by some U.S. media. If this is so, many would call that an infringement of Pakistan's national sovereignty.

There is more than enough evidence that the United States and NATO-led forces continue to launch attacks inside our tribal areas. Whenever this happens, many believe that the government either takes responsibility for such actions - as was the case with the killings on Bajaur  - or it tries to exonerate the foreign infiltrators by denying the facts, as was the case with last month missile attack on two houses and a seminary in Saidgi village in North Waziristan , which killed four. While the Office of Inter-Services Public Relations [the PR arm of the Pakistani secret service ] claimed that the blast had been caused by ammunition stored at the site by local people. The tribesmen maintained, however, that they had spotted a drone over the area, and they displayed parts of the missiles that had been reportedly fired from it to newsmen. 

NATO-led and U.S. troops have a tendency of going berserk. Last Thursday, a U.S. raid killed at least 20 Afghan civilians in Helmand Province after beleaguered coalition forces called for air support. In a similar incident late last month, 60 civilian men, women and children were killed by foreign troops. This had led to widespread protests in Afghanistan, prompting Mr. Karzai to lodge a strong complaint.

The government must in no case allow foreign forces to launch attacks inside Pakistan, since another major incident could trigger repercussions that the government's will be unable to contain. Washington must be told plainly that Taliban and al-Qaeda remnants can only be contained through the willing cooperation of the local tribesmen - as has been occurring in South Waziristan.

Rather than brute force - which can only alienate the tribesmen and have a long term negative impact on the country's integrity, this requires the time-tested tribal method of conflict resolution.