Tribune Take: Miscommunication may have led to NATO attack
The attack took place at a check post in Salala, which is located in the Tehsil Bayzai area of Mohmand Agency, which just happens to be the home town of Express 24/7 correspondent, Iftikhar Firdous. He discuses the significance of this check post, especially why a large contingent of Pakistani troops were stationed there recently.
Firdous explains the strategic importance that this route holds for the Taliban as well, who they use the area to cross over from Afghanistan. He says usually NATO coordinates well with the Pakistan army during any operation, so this attack could have been a case of miscommunication between the two armies.
Read Iftikhar Firdous' articles here.
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The key comment in this article and the overall report is the level of mistrust that exists between NATO and PAK. There is good reason for NATO and the US not to trust PAK.
And again...the attack continued for 2 hours inspite of contacts made by Pak authorities. What kind of miscommunication it was?.
With most advanced technology at hand, US /NATO can not claim it the tragedy due to mis-communication. If it happened through Pakistan and US Soldiers were killed, what would have been the reaction of US even if it was done due to miscommunication. The report is an eyewash of which US is mater.
Pak Govt Did not have the Grid reference of Osama, NATO did have..
Dear Pakistanis... Osama Bin Laden can live under the nose of the Pakistani army for 5 years. That can be an honest mistake and an intelligence failure. However this single incident cannot? I am not taking sides. It is just a rational thought.
NATO strikes are the outcome of Memogate. Good Diversion!
miscommunication!! Have you lost your mind,they killed our soldiers.there was no micommunication,with there hi-tec helicopters and wepons, Pasha and Kiyani should resign. 11
Shame on ET.........................
To those who want to "strike back" what are your plans?
Attack America?
NATO may be many things but I don't think they are insane. They have NOTHING to gain by killing our men except our anger and the angst of the whole world.
Obviously something went terribly wrong. Today I heard the incident went on for more than a few hours. That is absolutely crazy. It also makes no sense.
Didn't anyone know what was happening and once the mistake was known why was there no immediate cease-fire?
I think It's not appropriate time to talk too much. I think actions should speak louder than words.. we may agree with gentlemen talking about the credibility of NATO Alliance, but we ought not forget the incident of bombing Chineese Embassy during Serbian war by NATO Planes. So, pls have a heart and wait for Right moment.
This "miscommunication" lasted for an hour. Why didn't they bother to check before opening fire?
@ET Don't justify their trigger happy behaviour.miscommunication
To hell with miscommunication. They killed our soldiers and that's the story. Now we reserve the right to strike back.
For making lame excuses on behalf of the US/Nato attack.. and for not reporting heresay rather than facts
He says usually NATO coordinates well with the Pakistan army during any operation, so this attack could have been a case of miscommunication between the two armies.
Oay!!! "Coordinates well" led to "a case of miscommunication"?
KAISAY???!!!!!
Whatever ET! You are socially responsible - - Keep your quiet if truth cant be spoken!
Cheap Shot!! Sad for this cheap shot excuse . . .
@Mirza: Nice try NATO employee.
I too really want to know the reason behind this incident. Iran is also next to Afghanistan and supposedly an enemy of America. How come Iran is never bombed?
The best solution for us is to forget about strategic depth, cut of our relations with militants, seal afghan border and get out of this war. The westren powers and afghans can take care of themselves we already have 180 million people to worry about.
Exactly, it is the same miscommunication which will lead more attacks on NATO by Taliban in near future ... Agreed ?
a very annoying thing over here is that why was ET so prompt in clarifying the NATO's position through its own correspondent,,,,i have never seen them (ET) put their hands up to defend Pak army or for that matter anyone else if they end up in some sort of a mess....
I'm not an expert but there is one unanswered question..
If it wasn't an accident, why did it happen ?
If NATO/US wanted to just kill pakistani soldiers they possess the ability to kill a lot more than just 24. Iraqis and Afghans know that too well.
If it was about teaching lessons, why apologise afterwards ? There was no apology for the OBL raid, quite the contrary, they violated Pakistani sovereignty and hi-fived in our faces. But we are in such a state that all we could do is hang our tails between out legs.
You have to step in to your friends and enemies shoes, to understand their motivations, whether that be love or hate.
@Wow,,,more like funded by...a capitalist (ET) knows no other language i am afraid...
ET owned by NATO???
Miscommunication...Bull__ NATO and US forces in Afghanistan exactly know all locations of Pakistani Troops. Miscommunication does not happen just like that. And please stop covering it up, try to practice a fair journalism.
In actual active wars there are sometimes more casualties with friendly fire than from the combat. The assumption that NATO intentionally attacked and killed Pakistanis does not make sense. What is NATO or the US going to achieve in attacking a small post? When they did not retaliate after discovering OBL in military base what is so urgent now? Is there a bigger issue than hosting the worst terrorists in the word?
I just wonder at people who think the NATO pilots may have killed these soldiers just for fun. The soldiers know such an incident could creat a big political hue and cry and they may be investigated. We should not forget that there is more discipline and accountablity in the NATO forces then any other military in the world. Above all, the killing of twenty four peace-keeping soldiers should not be justified but still everybody should take it as a horrible accident.
@ FawadTexan: NATO does not want to bomb Pakistan nor its army. If destroying Pakistan was the true objective of NATO and or the US, they would have done so by now and we would all be dead.
It is not their objective. The real question that should be asked is why is the Pakistani military refusing to cooperate with NATO? Why is the Pakistani command not relaying information to NATO about Pakistani military position and letting NATO know that the large troops movements seen on satellite images are Pakistani forces and not terrorists?
Rather than bounce off the wall and immediately chastise America, stop and think. Its a shame that Pakistanis are quick to lambaste the West but refuse to believe the double game the Pakistani military, ISI, and governments of past and present have played by viewing Islamic militants as Allies rather than the real enemy!
Fawad, if you really are a Texan you would know better but chances are you're nothing but a armchair strategist who pretends to be something he is not.
We need to be stop being apologetic!!! Our newspapers, correspondents & leaders included!! Shame on you..."Tribune" for taking such an apologetic stand!!
Defending US murderers?
It was the initial information that the perspective was based on, there was no official version till than as hardly anyone had spoken till the than . The area is remote and takes time for information to travel and verify. Off course we all are grieved by the incident,
Unfortuantely, there`s nothing much we can do especially since all most of exports happen to US/Europe. So, if we do anything big, they can cut off exports and there are many countries Bangladesh/India/Srilanka/China/Indonesia readily willing to replace.
Also, there is no will of Estabishment/Politicians since their kith and kin live/study in these countries.
"Miscommunication led to the NATO attack" R u serious, killing 24 soldies without any reason in not a mistake. its a deleberate attempt from NATO.
That's American diplomacy 101.
It was intelligence failure that led them to believe that Iraq had WMD's, It is drone-side effects that have claimed thousands of civilian lives in Pakistan under the garb of collateral damage.the best however lo-behold, 28 military men killed on an established post due to miscommunication
Why is it that there was no miscommunication in identifying 9/11 and its assailants by this great Nation, that runs on either intelligence failures or MISCOMMUNICATIONs!!??? O hail the great Americans!!
US Military so called (NATO) cannot just fly in and carry out an attack on anything within Pakistan. No communication needed.
The helicopter was of the hi-tech army of the world i.e. US. How could be the incident assumed as "the case of miscommunication"?
Yes, it was miscommunication, but it was from our policy makers. Our brave soldiers must have been told that flying objects in that area do not pose any threat to them. They must have been told that their posts are deep inside, therefore, there is no danger of any NATO attack. They must have also been told that Taliban would cross those check posts without harming them. They must have been told that, we are not fighting any war, therefore enjoy, relax, keep safety locks on, don't return fire.
For whatever reason of the attack, it is best not to speculate, it is best to leave the joint investigation to NATO and Pakistani Army to reach a proper conclusion on this sad incident as soon as possible.
Instead of an explanation of a possible miscommunication, the victims' family properly like to have a good answer to their killing; hopefully not just regarded as the collateral causalities of the Afghanistan war.
The bottom line is for all parties involved to reach a solution to stop any similar incident happening in the future rather than any repetitions or getting out of control as a next development!
ET is nothing but a US propaganda newspaper! Trying to justify the murders but you will fail miserably!
How this attack is different from almost daily un-manned drone attacks that kills pakistani citizens? Just because NATO helicopters have "human" flying and firing them? Bottom line is we are being violated everyday by the US and NATO forces. The khakis are only good at beating and killing its own people and politicians. Defender of the borders who eat largest pie of this poor nation's budget are afraid to do their job, risk their life for the nation's defence. What a shame! Pasha and Kiyani should resign like the honorable Hussain Haqqani, but will they? No!!! They did not have ghairat to resign even after the OBL episode.
Miscommunication led to this unfortunate NATO attack, was it intentional or otherwise? @Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: "It is time that Pakistan’s should change its foreign policy and act as a sovereign state." Do you mean no affiliation with any terror group and forming an independent foreign policy by a democratically elected Government and not by our military!!! Forget it my friend, it's too late, we are in a swallowing mud. We must empower constitutional authority to overcome like Turkey did and discipline ourselves while bringing high-powered authorities (ALL OF THEM) misdeeds into justice before it may happen.
ET do you know, american forces carried operation is seen real time in central base, the post attacked has been there for a long time, it had a Pakistani flag on it, this is most observed border in ten years, the post was attacked twice. ET it is good to have an opinion but please have an opinion with some proof. But there is a high chance as i provided proof that it was a calculated mission and attack. Thank you and please think of Pakistan before your newspaper.
Misconception? What on earth are you trying to prove? I don't where you belong but this is by far the most shameless comment I've seen uptill now.
What a shameless excuse Miscommunication. NATO wants to bomb Pakistan Army. Keep it simple. No blame excuses.
well obviously this is what the tribune would say.
This is a grave loss of life as are all the lives which have been lost to drone attacks and in the US war in Afghanistan. All life should elicit the same outrage.
Imran can only have victory, and he must end the US war and occupation of Afghanistan.
He must show them the door.
He must also increase alliance with China, Russia, and Iran.
Yes. The moon has four legs.
It is time that Pakistan’s should change its foreign policy and act as a sovereign state.
We should not take any dictation either from US or any other country in the world. The bilateral relations should be based on how much a country import Pakistani made items and not on the basis of eradicating the terrorism.
The day Pakistan will be able to accommodate jobless people in the local market, the crime rate will come down automatically.
Whether there was a miscommunication or not, it does not matter. Our 22 Jawans of Pakistani Army has been killed and there cannot be any compromise on that. We must ask US to behave properly or otherwise there will be no passage given for the NATO supplies or neither US or the NATO will be able to use the Shamshi Airbase.
Enough is enough.
ET to the rescue...