Nato forces may have been lured into attacking Pakistani outposts in a calculated manoeuvre by the Taliban, according to preliminary US military reports on the deadliest friendly fire incident with Pakistan since the Afghanistan war began, The Associated Press reported.
A joint US-Afghan patrol was attacked by the Taliban early Saturday morning. While pursuing the enemy in the poorly marked border area, the patrol seems to have mistaken one of the Pakistan troop outposts for a militant encampment and called in a Nato gunship and attack helicopters to open fire.
US officials say the reports suggest the Taliban may have deliberately tried to provoke a cross-border firefight that would set back fragile partnerships between the US/Nato forces and Pakistani soldiers at the ill-defined border. Officials described the records on condition of anonymity to discuss classified matters, AP reported.
According to the US military records described to the AP, the joint US and Afghan patrol requested backup after being hit by mortar and small arms fire by Taliban militants.
Before responding, the joint US-Afghan patrol first checked with the Pakistani army, which reported it had no troops in the area, the military account said.
Some two hours later, still hunting the insurgents — who had by then apparently fled in the direction of Pakistani border posts — the US commander spotted what he thought was a militant encampment, with heavy weapons mounted on tripods.
The joint patrol called for the airstrikes at around 2:21 a.m. Pakistani time, not realising the encampment was apparently the Pakistani border post. Records show the aerial response included Apache attack helicopters and an AC-130 gunship, AP reported.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2011.
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@Zameer:
Any proof that there were even terrorists in that area? Even NATO is not so sure. If they were indeed following terrorists then where are they? Any dead bodies or injured terrorist or something?
What about the white flag on the outposts? They didn't see that as well with all their technology?
There is very thin difference between Pak army and terrorist operating at the border area . In fact only those units of Pak army are posted near the border during the troubled period who are having jehadee mentality as it happened during the Kargil war . Some time even the terrorists wear the uniform and project themselves as army personnel . Whatever may be the fact but one thing is very clear that now Pak Govt. Is now under the pressure of those who consistantly pressing the demand to leave the war against terrorists . The extent of this pressure can be understood that even the demand is to have a have dirrect confrontation with US and NATO and even with UAE who feed them . Now they have decided to leave Bonne conferrence . Let them do the same . The resolution passed in the conferrence will have support of world community which have to be accepted by Pak by any means . The war against terrorism will have to reach its final destination even at the cost of some innocent lives .
@antanu: - hi antanu -
regarding indian role in AF - thanks and no thanks - IN has better options - even when baited to act as counterbalance to prc-china , IN has politely said thks n no thks , so to act as proxy in AF is a much smaller role and miniscule reward ..... give it to someone else , maybe nigeria might be interested ?
btw IN is open to co-operation with USA regarding prc-china but not in direct command structure .
Pakistan is not Listening to any of this crap.
But where is the proof that NaTO fired on post..Ttp taliban shoes were seen near post....It is similar to amar sign getting caught wearing a saffron band and the indians lied as kasab in in mumbai attacks...
ohhh..nato is so innocent...lured by Taliban...haha..
We will have to get rid off this time from this so called ''WAR ON TERROR'' and stop getting any further financial aid. Kick out the corrupt Pakistani leaders, get the money they looted and pay back all the debts of Pakistan. This can only happen if we will wake up and ALLAH will Help Insha Allah.
With high tech equipments and all war machinery under their disposal, The American andNATO could not differenciate between the rag tag Taliban and the uniformed Army? Was this an attempt to draw Pakistan Army to retalilate and then crush them. Was their an agenda behind this attack? The question that comes to my mind is What was the rest of Pakistan Army doing. Hasnt this happend before under same type of circumstances??
It so appears that Zaid Hamid, has joined NATO since they are coming up with conspiracy theories.
Excuses can't get more lame than this
I think NATO forces are dumb that they couldn't differentiate b/w Taliban or Army
And they found WMD there. Finally....
A Canadian newspaper said that there were more than 20 terrorists who attacked a NATO base and ran into what we now know as a Pakistani military outpost. NATO personnel were tracking these militants apparently. If that was true, why did the Pakistani soldiers not stop the terrorists? Totally beats me.
This is non-sense, after-thought, and a lame anonymous excuse. This is disinformation at its worst; not even worth publishing. ET should stop being an apologist of the Yanks.
US and Nato writing the story as time goes on.
Now US and NATO are coming up with so many excuses for the raid on Pakistani Posts killing 24 valiant soldiers of Pakistan. With so many different statements given by various spokesmen of USA,NATO & ISAF , should Pakistan wait and accept the investigation report???
Absolutely crap...
Yes, blame it on the chickens now
I have credible information that this is a RAW-CIA-TALIBAN nexus work. Yes it may seem surprising but this is the truth. However MOSSAD has been kept out for now
A childish assumption....if it was the case why did not they stop the attack when contacted by Pakistani authorities? US still think the third world countries as moron's lands. But the problem is that we have the tendency to fall for it...as we (including Pakistanis, Indians) are over awed with US. We feel they are from another world. It is my fear that US is luring India to take its role in Afghanistan...if it happens..it will be good bye to our reputation as well as economic progress.US just made Pak an escape goat and India is well in line.Hope the better senses prevail in our leaders and they dont jump into the mess for so called strategic depth, an aspiration which made Pakistan a bane among the community of nations. By seeing the comments from my Indian friends it appears that they would like it to happen just because of their biased towards PAKISTAN which has paid more than the logical price for its follies.
And we are expected to believe that this highly trained, best equipped force in the world would fall for such ploy? Puuhhllleeezzzeeeee :p
So what about the precision guided missiles, bombs, GPS tracking, Night vision, etc. What is the use of all this technology. And why, after being alerted by GHQ, the NATO kept attacking for another hour??
Stop BS'ing us Uncle Sam.
I agree with this version. Taliban have deliberately provoked the attack but there is also a very big question mark on the credibility of Afghan Forces.
Afghanistan is sworn enemy of Pakistan and I am sure Afghan Army cooperated with Taliban to lure NATO into attack!
the patrol seems to have mistaken one of the Pakistan troop outposts for a militant encampment
WOW! Really?! You NATO people are so blind as not to notice a Pakistani troops outpost which has been standing there for as long as Pakistan. Really USA? Maybe this is why you attack people because you are too blind to notice the difference!
Blockquote
Blockquote> The joint patrol called for the airstrikes at around 2:21 a.m. Pakistani time, not realising the encampment was apparently the Pakistani border post.Blockquote
Blockquote
Dumb blokes make dumb excuses. No coordinates and all that?
US should stopped telling this joke. This is 21 century and we know how technology works.
Even if they were lured, they were fully in knowledge that Volcano and Bolder posts belong to Pakistan Army and they knew their GR and they had GPS Systems in their helicopters.
It was a deliberate attack aim to kill Pakistani Officers and Men and aimed to achieve specific purpose. This was done by a Segment of US Authorities, manly PENTAGON and CIA on the behest of their civilian contractors who are minting billion of dollars from this Afghan Conflict and they DO NO want to END this Conflict.
This attack was done in order to defeat the Obama Policy to pull out and end this conflict.
I wonder all the so called sophisticated technology of US was on holiday that day!
The ever-changing story of NATO.!! Destroy their fuel storage in Afghanistan just for example so that negotiations can be made on an equal basis
Ya right! What a joke!
it is very easy to divert the blame on taliban.
Lies have so many version:
Shelling from Pakistan side Pakistan side fire first Taliban made NATO do it Insert new lie hereLOL! What a lot of crap!! Keep making excuses. Our army heads were calling nato chiefs that these are Pak army checkposts not taliban - STOP FIRING! And they still didnt for 2 hours! Give your line of BS excuses to someone else.
this account, once again coming from annonymous sources, is very difficult to believe; since Pakistani post had GPS coordinates, Taliban don't create fixed positions on hill tops at 8000 feet, Pakistani side contacted the US/ISAF informing of coming under fire; initial leaks from ANA never mentioned all this interesting details; there is something very fishy in the whole tragedy..
And these idiots are training the Afghan Army. Well done.
Are they now just changing the story in face of the Pakistani public's reaction as a face saving measure?
Lolly pop for USA on this childish statements