Pakistan Army Chief: sovereignty will be defended "at all cost."
By Cernig
In an unusually strong public statement, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said a raid last week into Pakistan's South Waziristan region killed innocent civilians and could backfire on the anti-terror allies.
He said such operations were covered by no agreement between Pakistan and U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan and risked stoking militancy in a region which Washington regards as an intolerably safe haven for al-Qaida and Taliban militants.
"Falling for short term gains while ignoring our long term interest is not the right way forward," Kayani said, according to the statement released through the military's media wing.
"To succeed, the coalition would be required to display strategic patience and help the other side the way they want it, rather than adopting a unilateral approach."
..."The rules of engagement with the coalition forces are well defined" and foresee Pakistan alone taking action against militants inside its borders, Kayani said. "There is no question of any agreement or understanding with the coalition forces" that allows them to operate in Pakistan, he said.
The general defended Pakistan's policy of seeking reconciliation in its wild tribal belt. He insisted the army was committed to eliminating militants, but said it had to be sure of popular support.
"Reckless actions" which kill civilians "only help the militants and further fuel the militancy in the area," he said.
"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country will be defended at all cost and no external force is allowed to conduct operations inside Pakistan," he said.
I guess that "less confrontational" meeting between Admiral Mullen, General Petraeus and General Kiyani last Tuesday didn't work out so well after all. With Kiyanai explicitly joining other Pakistani military officials who have threatened "retaliation" for US attacks into their territory and seemingly ignoring the new President Zardari's claims that Pakistan is a staunch ally who wants to work with America, the 'new war' that Gareth Porter has been talking about seems a lot closer.
And remember - Bush ignored the consensus of the intelligence community to do this and McCain has said he would continue Bush's policies in dealing with Pakistan.
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