Pak Army rejects several findings of US investigation report on NATO attack

Pak Army rejects several findings of US investigation report on NATO attack

Rawalpindi: (Monday, January 23, 2012) The US Investigation Report into the Salala incident of 26th November 2011, involving aerial strikes by US aircraft and helicopters resulting into Shahadat (killing) of 24 Pakistani soldiers
and injury to 13 others, was received by the General Headquarters (GHQ) Pakistan Army on the 24th of December 2011. The report received is the same un version as available on the US Central Command (CENTCOM) Website. The analysis of the US Investigation Report
has been carried out by Pakistan Military with a view to reiterate facts and correct the perspective.

According to the ISPR press release, Pakistan does not agree with several portions and findings of the Investigation Report as these are factually not correct. The fundamental cause of the incident of 26th November 2011 was the
failure of US / ISAF to share its near-border operation with Pakistan at any level. This obviously was a major omission, as were several others, like the complicated chain of command, complex command and control structure and unimaginative / intricate Rules
of Engagement as well as lack of unified military command in Afghanistan. In addition to the foregoing, US / ISAF violated all mutually agreed procedures with Pakistan for near-border operations put in place to avert such uncalled for actions. It also carried
out unprovoked engagement of Pakistani Posts located inside Pakistan violating the US / ISAF mandate which is limited to Afghanistan alone.

The press release further stated: “The US Investigation Report is structured around the argument of “self defence” and “proportional use of force”, an argument which is contrary to facts. Continued engagement by US / ISAF despite
being informed about the incident at multiple levels by Pakistan Military within minutes of initiation of US / ISAF fire, belies the “self defence” and “proportional use of force” contention. Affixing partial responsibility of the incident on Pakistan is therefore,
unjustified and unacceptable.”

The detailed Pakistani Perspective on the US Investigation Report (which is the only version of Pakistan’s Report), approved by Pakistan’s Defence Committee of the Cabinet, is available on Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations’
(ISPR) website

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=10200

Posted by Fayyaz Yaseen on Jan 23 2012. 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