The Pakistani military denied recent reports that its leaders tipped off terrorist groups before carrying out raids on two bomb factories in North Waziristan. The US had provided the intelligence to the Pakistani military, and less than 24 hours later, the factories were vacated.
The Inter-Services Public Relations, the Pakistan military’s public affairs branch, issued an official denial and described reports that the military warned al Qaeda and Haqqani Network operatives prior to carrying out the raids as “totally false and malicious.”
“A spokesperson of the ISPR has strongly refuted reports in the media quoting unnamed US sources that elements in Pakistan security forces tipped off terrorists helping them to escape the purported IED factories in Waziristan,” the statement read. “This assertion is totally false and malicious and the facts on ground are contrary to it.”
The Pakistani military said “intelligence information was received regarding four compounds suspected of being used as IED making facilities,” but did not clarify where the intelligence came from. The military then claimed that two of the four raids were successful, and several “persons” were detained.
“Operations were launched on all,” the ISPR statement continued. “Two were found to be used as IED making facilities and have been destroyed. Information on other to proved to be incorrect. Some persons have been arrested and they are under investigation.”
The Pakistani military’s statement conflicts with multiple reports in the American press that said that CIA director Leon Panetta confronted Pakistan over the incident. The US was able to watch the terrorists vacate the IED factories prior to the Pakistani raid, and presented the video evidence to Pakistani officials, according to TIME.
“Panetta alleged that the militants were tipped off within 24 hours of the US sharing information on the facilities with the Pakistanis,” according to a report in TIME. “When Pakistani troops later arrived at the scene of the two bomb-making facilities, used for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices, the militants were gone.”
Today’s press release by ISPR is the latest in a series of official denials and attempts to set the record straight on a series of issues that have cast the Pakistani military in a negative light since al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by US special operations forces at a safehouse in Abbottabad on May 2.
Also today, the ISPR issued an official statement denying any role in the murder of Asia Times journalist and terrorism expert Syed Saleem Shahzad. The ISPR described the claims as “unfounded and baseless insinuation’s being voiced in a section of print and electronic media against ISI” and said that “such negative aspersions and accusations were also voiced against ISI in some previous cases but investigations proved those wrong.”
Shahzad was kidnapped in Islamabad as he was on his way to a meeting with the military. He was tortured and executed. A senior researcher at Human Rights Watch accused the ISI of executing Shahzad for exposing links between the the military and terrorist groups in Pakistan, including al Qaeda.
On June 15, the ISPR issued a statement that denied the military detained a former major in the Pakistani Army who aided the US in helping hunt down Osama bin Laden. Pakistan arrested five people involved in the killing of bin Laden, according to The Associated Press.
The ISPR “strongly refuted a news item published in a section of press in which it is claimed that an Army officer (Major) is included in detained persons regarding Abbotabad incident,” the statement read. “There is no army officer detained and the story is false and totally baseless.”
And on June 9, the ISPR issued an unusually long and highly defensive statement after the Army Corps Commanders Conference. The rambling statement addressed criticism of the Pakistani military over the US raid that killed bin Laden; clarification of the Army’s relationship with the US and the acceptance of US aid; a denial that the Army would soon launch operations against the Haqqani Network and al Qaeda in the tribal areas; and other issues. The statement was peppered with long sections in boldface.
18 Comments
And there you have it: the REAL enemy exposed for all to see. We’re going to have to take steps: 1) Recall ambassador, 2) economic and military aid embargo, 3) blockade Pakistani ports, 4) share drone technology (among other things) with India
The noose tightens. Why did they arrest anyone connected with the OBL raid?
Iraq had “Baghdad Bob.” Pakistan needs a real or imaginary equal to Baghdad Bob since the lies are now equal in quality and quantity to Bob’s.
The Onion said it best.
Blert, that Onion parody was so good that at this point it is difficult to distinguish from the truth.
The truth/Onion reporting goes way back to GW Bush. He was routinely criticized for not wanting to let Pakistan know before strikes or covert raids. His reply was that the bad guys always disappear when we do! He reportedly said this angrily at meetings.
Not much has changed on how this communication works, apparently.
Pak denies tipping them off. Yeah, right.
yeah…right
IS PAKISTAN THE BOILING FROG?
The parable is that if you throw a frog into boiling hot water, the frog immediately jumps out of the pot and saves itself. However, if you place the frog in a pot of regular water and place the pot on the fire, it stays in there even as the water comes to a boil and eventually dies.
Pakistan is rather like the latter frog, swimming in its own cauldron, refusing to jump out and showing little signs of even wishing to do so.
If this is part of a grander Anglo-American (add Indo-, if you like) design to undo the Pakistani State, then its a brilliant, if expensive, strategy.
Two major historical mistakes need to be reversed, and will be:
1.) The formation of a Pakistani State, and
2.) Its going nuclear.
The real ‘King’ of Pakistan is its nukes. That, my peace loving friends, is The End-Game. Not a list or gang of 5 or 10 or even 20 top-terrorists.
Now is not the time to extricate those nukes. That time will come as will the time for the frog to die, finally.
Be patient, its a Long Game.
Americans think that Hussain Haqqani is Pakistan’s ambassador to the US. Pakistanis think that Hussain Haqqani is American’s ambassador to Pakistan. The way Hussain Haqqani keeps his job is by telling Pakistanis that he will continue to bring American money (jeziya) and by promising Americans just about anything they want to hear. Unfortunately, Hussain Haqqani and Vladmir Putin and John Doe have the same authority to speak on behalf of Pakistan. He does not even consult the Pakistani government before making promises and even if he did, it would not matter. Ultimately, the power lies in the hands of the oppressive Pakistani military.
A Major in Pakistani army can deliver what even Zardari cannot. And Pakistani army will continue to support the Jihadis for as long as Pakistan exists. Jihad is their holy duty.
“Jihad is their holy duty” You surly mean satanic duty, there is nothing holy in making war against those they deem non-believers. That is insanity! and to think they Kill their own people to try and make America look bad… Yeah jihad is real spiritual.
A nation of liars. That pretty much sums it up.
Well said Villiger. Perfect analogy in my opinion.
the REAL enemy exposed for all to see. We’re going to have to take steps: 1) Recall ambassador, 2) economic and military aid embargo, 3) blockade Pakistani ports, 4) share drone technology (among other things) with India
How do you know when the Pakistanis are lying? Their lips are moving!
Chris, thank you.
Gates’ last press conference, joined by Mullen was quite reassuring where the importance of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons was quite clear.
I couldn’t but help get the feeling from looking at their faces, and behind, that this is a MAJOR worry, and therefore a key priority for the White House.
I am not American and i’m not involved in local politics. From my limited appreciation, i feel that Obama has his finger on-the-pulse in a responsible way.
I wonder what is your sense?
I am not of the opinion that Pakistan is an absolute terrorist supporting monster (like some posters on this website), but I am more of the 50/50 view. They are heroic for standing up to the bad terrorists but they are monsters for propping up the good ones.
I can only imagine that they tipped off certain guerilla groups prior to the “raids” on the target compounds because the guerillas in question were their assets, ie. good Taliban, Haqqani, etc.
And what about when they lose the land registry documents showing who bought and paid for the compound housing Bin Laden?
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/06/21/feinstein_rumor_pakistan_lost_the_files_on_osama_s_compound
Does that make them heroic amnesiacs, or monstrously forgetful?
There are no “good” terrorists. That would akin to dry water, or brick windows.
ESTABLISHING
DEMARCATION,
R