Pakistan Army Now Ordered To Retaliate Against U.S. Forces In Pakistan

Pakistani protesters burn U.S. flag and an effigy of U.S. President George Bush to condemn alleged strikes in Pakistani tribal areas along Afghanistan border, Wednesday, Sept 10, 2008 in Multan, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Khalid Tanveer)

Pak Army Ordered To Hit Back US Forces -- Press TV

The Pakistani Army has been given orders to retaliate against any unilateral strike by the Afghanistan-based US troops inside the country.

Army Spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas confirmed the orders in a brief interview with Geo News on late Thursday night.

The decision was made on the first day of the two-day meeting of Pakistan's top military commanders to discuss the US coalition's ground and air assault in Waziristan region which killed dozens of civilians.

Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani chaired the meeting which began in Rawalpindi on Thursday at the Army General Headquarters.

Pakistan's military commanders expressed their determination to defend the country's borders without allowing any external forces to conduct operations inside the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, sources said.

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More News On Pakistan's Army And Cross Border Firefights

U.S. Hits Pakistan Again, Tension Mounts -- CBS News
Pakistan army commander: U.S. keep out -- UPI
Pakistan premier backs army chief's rebuke to US -- Newsweek
Pakistan premier backs army chief's rebuke to US -- Yahoo News/AP
Pakistan backs army chief over US rebuke -- Guardian
US working with Pak to deal with its spy agency -- Hindustan Times
Pak army chief stamp on Kabul embassy attack: NYT -- IBN Live

My Comment: With a new Pakistan government taking control of the executive powers of the state, many in Pakistan's military hierarchy and bureaucracy are clearly seeing a change in the status quo .... a change that they do not want.

This new government has made it very clear that their priority is to establish central government control over the frontier provinces of Pakistan, and to wage war against the Taliban and their allies. This is something that the ISI (Pakistan's Intelligence Service) and their military allies do not want.

This order to retaliate against U.S. and Afghan forces comes from the military, and not from the government itself. Coming one day after the premier publicly supported the Head of the Army's protestations on U.S. military strikes on Pakistan/Taliban targets, this new order from the Head of the Military is a stepping up of the rhetoric against the U.S. Interestingly, there has been no repeat support from the new government on this new action, making this WNU editor wonder if the Army Head is overstepping his authority.

These actions are now becoming a sad reflection on how divided Pakistan has become. It also reveals how destructive the military and intelligence services have been to the country, as well as giving a clear sign that a conflict between the many competing factions in Pakistan is now about to occur.

From my vantage point, Pakistan is now being boxed into a situation in which they will have to now make some hard decisions. They have always supported Muslim extremists as a tool to use against India, but now these same extremists are attacking Pakistan's allies which includes the U.S. The fact that many of these extremists are also in the Intelligence Services and Army complicates everything.

The Pakistan military and government have been playing a certain "game" (for the past 7 years) against the U.S. when it comes to Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders on their territory. But with the increase in fighting occurring in Afghanistan this year, this patience has clearly run its course. If Pakistan cannot control its borders and its extremists, the U.S. have made it very clear that they will start to target the heads and leaders of these extremist organizations regardless of the consequences.

Pakistan has yet to accept or understand this new change in U.S. direction.