Cross-border tensions in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda militants erupted into the open on Wednesday as Pakistan's frontline commander issued a stinging rebuke to the top US general in Afghanistan.
Lieutenant General Safdar Hussain, who leads 70,000 troops in the lawless tribal belt, described as "highly irresponsible" comments by Lieutenant General David Barno that Pakistan was about to launch a fresh anti-terrorist operation.
"He should not have made that statement. It was a figment of his imagination. There is no bloody operation going on until we have the right intelligence," he told reporters at his headquarters in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
The rift underscored Pakistani sensitivities about its military cooperation with the US, which is unpopular across the country and particularly among the conservative northern Pashtun tribes.
"I don't want to give the nation the impression that Barno can come down here and dictate the operation," he said.
In response, Lieutenant Cindy Moore, a coalition spokeswoman in Kabul, said: "Coalition and Pakistani forces share a common enemy in the global war on terrorism."
Pakistan cooperates in operations to corner al-Qaeda fugitives hiding along the 2,250km border but vehemently rejects suggestions that US troops should be allowed to cross into its territory.
Pakistani troops opened fire on a joint US-Afghan patrol that strayed across the border on Jan. 30, killing one Afghan soldier, Hussain said.
"We warned them `you are in Pakistan, please go back' through a loudhailer, and fired warning shots in the air. They kept going. Thereafter we opened up on them," he said.
He confirmed that the CIA was operating remote surveillance posts near the border, but said its agents were not allowed to roam the tribal areas "for their own safety and security."
The tensions may stem from a combination of US impatience to accelerate the hunt for al-Qaeda militants, and Pakistani reticence to further anger the tribesmen sheltering them.
"There is a lot of anti-Americanism in the tribal belt, and al-Qaeda knows how to take advantage of it," said Talat Masood, a retired general.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was