Islamabad seeks French lobbying on drone attacks

The US is willing to expand consultations on operations.

WASHINGTON/ ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has enlisted France’s support in persuading the United States to change its policy on drone strikes and covert operations inside its territory, sources said on Friday. The move came after it became clear that though Washington is willing to expand consultations with Islamabad over drone operations it is unlikely to announce sharp cuts in the number of such attacks.

Washington is also unlikely to accept suggestions that it should return to a Bush-era policy limiting the strikes to “high-value” militant targets, a US official said late Friday. “[CIA chief] Leon Panetta has an obligation to protect the American people and he isn’t going to call an end to any operations that support that objective,” one US official said.

After this week’s meeting between Panetta and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, US officials said the CIA’s willingness to increase “consultation” did not mean the United States had agreed to clear every drone strike with Pakistan. They also said that Washington was not interested in getting clearance for drone attacks.

Upon his return from Washington, Lt Gen Pasha made an unscheduled visit to France and Turkey. Later Pasha apprised Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani about his trips.

However, Major General Athar Abbas, director general of Inter-Services Press Relations, could not confirm or deny Gen Pasha’s visit to France.

But sources said in his meetings with French defence security officials Pasha discussed with them intelligence cooperation and the war in Afghanistan. The recent arrest of two French terror suspects in Pakistan was also discussed.

Sources said Pakistan wants France to support its case on US drone attacks which it claims were counterproductive as many civilians have been killed, prompting a backlash in the country.

The issue of US personnel levels in Pakistan  was discussed during Pasha’s visit, one US official said. But US officials said many of the sharpest demands floated by the Pakistani sources were never raised by Pasha and that he and Panetta have a good personal rapport.

News reports before the Pasha-Panetta meeting said some Pakistani officials believed as many as 300 undeclared CIA operatives may be in Pakistan.

US officials say, in recent months, Pakistani authorities have used delays in issuing visas to slow the rotation into Pakistan of CIA operatives, US military trainers – believed to number around 120 -- and State Department diplomats.

If the visa delays continue, one US official said, eventually they could cut into the numbers of US personnel conducting critical counter-terrorism operations in Pakistan.

But so far, a second US official said, the visa delays are not degrading US operations.

With input from Reuters

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2011.