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Vol. 72/No. 37      September 22, 2008

 
U.S. troops carry out ground assault in Pakistan
 
BY DOUG NELSON  
U.S. Special Forces opened fire on a village in Pakistan September 3 in the first publicly acknowledged U.S. ground assault inside the country. The raid, which killed as many as 20 people, was condemned by Pakistani government officials and further complicated relations between the two governments, which have worked closely together in the “war on terror” since late 2001.

It’s not clear who were the targets of the raid as details of the attack from the U.S. side—based on statements from anonymous government officials to the New York Times—are scant. The assault, according to the Times, was carried about by Special Forces under direct U.S. command. NATO officials denied any knowledge or involvement in the operation.

The assault took place in the village of Musa Nikow in the South Waziristan district near the Afghan border. According to local residents, most of those killed were civilians. Some 3,000 villagers protested the attack two days later in Wana, the district’s main town.

“Such actions are completely counterproductive and can result in huge losses, because it gives the civilians a cause to rise against the Pakistani military,” said Pakistani military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas. About 100,000 Pakistani soldiers operate along the Afghan border.

Citing the same fears, Pakistani prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said his government will not allow such violations of its sovereignty. Gilani made his statement the day of the assault just hours after his motorcade was attacked by sniper fire in the country’s capital.

The incident also occurred three days before Pakistani presidential elections, which were called following the August 18 resignation of close U.S. ally Pervez Musharraf. The election brought Asif Ali Zardari, leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and widower of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, to power. The outcome further strengthened the PPP’s new dominant position won in elections for parliament and prime minister earlier this year.

On the day of presidential elections, the Pakistani government temporarily blocked major fuel and supply routes to U.S.-led NATO troops in Afghanistan to protest the U.S. ground assault—a political move likely designed to win more PPP votes. The stoppage was too short to affect military operations in Afghanistan, according to NATO officials.

According to anonymous U.S. officials cited by the Times, the September 3 assault is the beginning of a stepped-up military campaign inside Pakistan. Five days since the raid, two missile attacks from aerial drones killed at least 19, at least seven of whom were civilians. Some 25 were wounded.  
 
 
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