Obama calls Zardari: 'NATO airstrike not deliberate'

Obama, Zardari reaffirm their commitment to US-Pakistan bilateral relationship.


Huma Imtiaz December 04, 2011

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama called President Zardari on Sunday to personally condole the death of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a NATO airstrike last week.

In a press release issued by the White House, President Obama "made clear that this regrettable incident was not a deliberate attack on Pakistan and reiterated the United States’ strong commitment to a full investigation."

The press release further stated that the two leaders "reaffirmed their commitment to the US-Pakistan bilateral relationship, which is critical to the security of both nations, and they agreed to stay in close touch."

Earlier US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday evening – a call during which the premier is said to have declined a request to attend the conference on the Afghan endgame, which is to start on Monday.

According to the prime minister’s office, Gilani had made it clear to the US that his government was ‘bound to follow’ the parliamentary committee’s decision regarding the conference.

“[Secretary Clinton] said that the attack was not intentional and that we must wait for the outcome of the investigation,” the statement said.

(Read: PM unmoved by Hillary’s call)

Earlier in November a Nato strike on a checkpost in Mohmand agency on the Afghan border had killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. In retaliation for the raid, Islamabad had blocked Nato convoys from crossing into Afghanistan, ordered a review of its alliance with the US and demanded that the US leave Shamsi airbase used for drone flights within 15 days.

(Read: US prepares to vacate Shamsi airbase)

COMMENTS (24)

LOK | 12 years ago | Reply

Americans owe too many apologies. Japan, Vietnam, Panama, Afghanistan, Iraq to name a few. Emotional Americans need to remember that there was no Pakistani involved in 911. If you had acted wisely and squeezed Talibans to give up Bin Laden then you would not be confronting Pakistanis (add one more to apology list) now. You obviously know nothing about political dynamics of Afghanistan, which in fairness is too much to ask from a group of people who can't always correctly point to Australia on the map.

And on nukes safety you obviously don't remember US air force forgetting nuclear arsenal on an airport by mistake. Speaks highly of the strength of your processes. Your economy has no signs of a recovery, Europe is in far worse shape, Of course you don't realize how shallow your warnings sound now. There was a time when we used to get glued to tv sets when say President Clinton was giving a speech. Now we see Obama and get on with whatever we are doing.

guile | 12 years ago | Reply

You want an apology, so do we!, when are you pakistanis going to wake up. Pakistan has replaced iran as the leading top supporter of terrorism in the world. Apologies, get real, have you apolgized for each and every suicide bomber to come from pakistan, Do you apogize for treating soverigne afghanistan as a piece of your property. You all complain about ray davis, get a clue, he was being robed by two thieves, and he defended him self, they died, as criminals. Fact is pakistan is the source of its own problems, and as i read here daily, most of you expect others to solve your problems for you, What a total begger nation. I warn you now, and head my words, as i speak for the majority sentimint of america, Get your act together, start making a postive contribution or face annialation, The world is tired of your stunted mentality and our patience is wearing out, shape up or you will face more and even greater losses. Take this warning as it is, pakistan is falling apart, many nations have problems of their own true, but the majority of our problems are new and in time will be worked out, while pakistan has been on a downward slide for several decades now. It should be an equal with India, but is closer to resembleing somthing like syria. One Question I have for you, How can you be sure your nuclear weapons are secure, Because if you answer is the army and government says so, I feel really sorry for you. Odds are good, Your nuclear weapons are already in american possesion. And you would never know.

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