Pakistan on Sunday asked the US to share “actionable intelligence” on terrorist leaders, including al Qaeda’s new chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, believed to be hiding in the Tribal Areas but warned of dire consequences of any unilateral military action by the American troops for the purpose.
“We expect the US intelligence establishment to share available information and actionable intelligence regarding al-Zawahiri and other high value targets with us, enabling the Pakistan Army to carry out targeted operations,” the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesman said. The spokesman was responding to US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta’s statement about al Qaeda leaders being present in the Pakistani tribal belt.
Operation: “The Pakistan Army is already carrying out intense operations against al Qaeda and its affiliates who are a threat to the security of our country and people,” he said. “This includes pursuit and targeting terrorists’ leadership and high value targets. We expect US intelligence establishment to share available information and actionable intelligence regarding Zawahiri and other high value targets (HVTs) with us enabling the Pakistan Army to carry out targeted operations,” he said.
Another Pakistani official, who requested anonymity, said after the killing of Osama bin Laden, the Obama administration had stepped up pressure on Pakistan to move against several top terrorist leaders believed to be hiding here including Zawahiri. Panetta, who took over as US defence secretary on July 1 had overseen the US raid against bin Laden as the chief of CIA. The official said Pakistani leaders, on their part, had made it clear to Panetta and other US authorities that Islamabad would not tolerate any unilateral US action again on the pattern of what was done by them in Abbottabad to take out bin Laden.
“We have told them (the Americans) and we tell them again loud and clear that any US raid on Pakistani soil in future will not be tolerated and it will have dire ramifications for the relations between the two nations,” he said.
