Relations between Washington and Islamabad are “frozen” in a mutual distrust over the “unauthorised” raid by US Navy Seals which killed Osama bin Laden last May, senior military and political leaders have said.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, they said despite ten years of cooperation with the US in the war on terror, in which an estimated 35,000 civilians, 3,000 soldiers and senior political leaders like former prime minister Benazir Bhutto have lost their lives, Washington has denigrated its armed forces and undermined its sovereignty.
America’s decision to launch the bin Laden raid without informing Pakistan’s leaders, and the killing of two armed motorcyclists in Lahore by CIA contractor Raymond Davis last January, caused widespread anger and highlighted the need for Islamabad to review its cooperation with Washington and rein in CIA agents it regards as out of control, they said. The comments, as the country approaches its tenth anniversary as a key US ally in the war on terror, have raised strong questions over how effectively the US will be able to target al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan without the full support of its military and political leaders.
Pakistan further highlighted its vital role yesterday when it announced the capture in Quetta of senior al Qaeda leader Younis al-Mauritania, who had been picked by Osama bin Laden to plot attacks in America, Europe and Australia.
“There’s anti-US feeling prevailing in the country. If we are seen to be moving against the people at the behest of a foreign power it would be a disaster,” said one senior military chief.
“They disregard the sovereignty of the country. There’s the feeling of the troops, it puts pressure on these organisations. There’s a concern to reassure the people of Pakistan that these abuses can’t happen again. Any repeat would intensify the feelings against the US. It doesn’t help.”
Another senior officer, military’s spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the US had not kept to an understanding to defer to its judgement on waging the war on terror within Pakistan, and had sought to push Islamabad into launching offensives against Taliban strongholds despite its fears that they would cause civilian casualties and drive tribesmen into supporting the militants.
The Pakistan Army had waged successful operations against militants in South Waziristan, Swat, Bajaur, Orakzai, and Mohmand. The Taliban had not retaken any of their former strongholds, but the US had still put Islamabad under pressure to launch premature attacks in North Waziristan and other areas.
“We isolated the Taliban in the area, bribed some, pushed other groups, so they were isolated. [But] there was impatience to why are we were taking so long,” he said.
Washington has long been frustrated by Pakistan’s reluctance to move against the Haqqani network in North Waziristan.
The “disregard” of Pakistan’s concerns had highlighted the need for a written agreement to limit the “footprint” of the CIA in Pakistan.
“It’s important for intelligence agencies to have terms of engagement which are defined in writing so there’s no element of confusion or misinterpretation from the respective sides,” General Abbas said.
“It should be known as to the number [of agents], the footprint should be formalised. We do understand there are different frames of reference. The other side will see the problem through their prism, but this is our land, people and problem and we have to sort it out,” he said.
Senator Tariq Azeem said America’s disregard for public opinion against drone attacks, and failure to inform its leaders about the Osama bin Laden raid, had damaged relations and tarnished its image.
“There’s little doubt that Pakistan feels very strongly that our best may not be good enough for you, but we’ve given our best. We’ve lost 3,600 soldiers, including a three star general, 35,000 civilians. Hardly a day goes by when Pakistan is not fighting. If a single NATO soldier dies in Afghanistan people talk about the sacrifice, but how come Pakistani blood is not seen as important?” he said.
