The attack on Pakistani soil was not intentional: says General Martin Dempsey

The attack on Pakistani soil was not intentional: says General Martin Dempsey

US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey asserted that the Nato attack on Pakistani soil on November 26 was not intentionally done by US.

He claimed so during an event, which was scheduled by the Atlantic Council think tank. While explaining the current situation of Pak-US bilateral relationships, he stressed that Pak’s decision of closing Nato supply routes expresses ‘a lot about the US relationship
with Pakistan’.

He elaborated that, “They believe we did this intentionally, in some way or the other, to discredit them or to goad them into further action.” 

The General told that it was very difficult for him that despite of all the attempts made by US to strengthen the relationship, Pakistan thought that was deliberate.

“If you think we did, I have to ask, what in the world would we hope to gain from doing this. As I sit here today, I don’t know what happened in the Nato airstrikes,” Dempsey added.

He articulated that US can arrange the alternative routes for Nato supply, which will be comparatively expensive.

“We can change the percentages of our reliance upon the Pakistani line of communication. We can adjust and we can get it done. It will be more expensive. It will be time-consuming but we have the time to do it,” he said.

He further explained by saying that, “The real problem for me is not the cost. What is troubling me is that they would close the route. What it says about the (US-Pakistan) relationship is troubling for us.”

Nevertheless, he stressed that US has nothing to gain by worsening its relationships with Pakistan. While addressing a question related to the torching of Nato oil Tankers, Dempsey said that US does not pay for fuel until it is safely delivered to them.

He told that he was a batch mate of General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at Fort Leavenworth and he called him after the Nato attacks. He also added that many other US officials have also contacted with their Pakistani counterparts to improve the Pak-US relation. 

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=5835

Posted by Mursil Mehmood Butt on Dec 10 2011. Filed under Latest News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry