Pakistan Military Dismisses NYT Report On Drone Strikes

Islamabad, March 7, IRNA – Pakistan army has dismissed as ‘distortion of the facts’ an American daily report that two drone strikes were not conducted by the US spy aircraft but were carried out by Pakistani forces. The New York quoted unnamed US official as saying the US had not conducted two strikes in February that had killed nine people including two al-Qaeda operatives. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry had also lodged an official protest with the American Embassy over the strikes. However the US officials said ‘Both of the strikes were carried out by the Pakistani military and falsely attributed to the CIA to avoid criticism from the Pakistani public,’ The New York Times reported on Tuesday. Pakistan military has categorically rejected the report. Commenting on the news report an army spokesman said that such an accusation is distortion of the facts and seems to be aimed at diluting Pakistan’s stance on drone strikes. He denied Pakistan’s security forces having carried out any drone operation, including air strikes, in the area on dates mentioned in the news report, a statement from the army’s Inter-Services Public Relations said. The two strikes were carried out on Feb. 6 in North Waziristan and Feb. 8 in South Waziristan. The controversial CIA-run drone campaign is always criticized by Pakistan and strongly condemned by the public and the tribesmen, describing it as violation of international laws and against the country’s sovereignty. The US has refused to change its policy on the plea that Pakistani security forces are unable to eliminate al-Qaeda and Taliban members from Waziristan tribal region, who are blamed for cross-border attacks in Afghanistan./end