Pakistan condemns Bin Laden raid and US drone attacks

[HotelUser]

Pakistan's parliament has called for a review of the country's relationship with the US over the American commando raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.

MPs said they "condemned the unilateral action... which constitutes a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty".

They unanimously passed a resolution urging a ban on Nato transit convoys unless the US ended drone attacks.

The session followed Friday's double suicide bombing that killed 80 people in north-western Pakistan.

At least 120 others were wounded in the attack on a Frontier Constabulary training centre in Shabqadar, Charsadda district.

The Pakistani Taliban said they carried out the attack - this year's deadliest on the security forces - to avenge Bin Laden's death.

Heightened security
The 2 May US raid on the al-Qaeda leader's Abbottabad hideout has left Washington-Islamabad relations at an all-time low, correspondents say.

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Analysis


Aleem Maqbool
BBC News, Islamabad
None of the new resolutions adopted by Pakistan's parliament following the Bin Laden affair deals with the issue of the al-Qaeda leader's presence in this country.

Instead, most of the discussion in this special session centred on Pakistan's relationship with the United States.

There was strong condemnation in the resolutions that were adopted - of US operations in Pakistan and of what parliament called the "campaign to malign Pakistan".

Rather than any public criticism of the Pakistani security forces from the government, there was a resolution affirming full confidence in them.

MPs who attended the closed session though, said the head of the intelligence agencies, Gen Pasha, who made a rare appearance to explain himself, had a tough time from some quarters and offered his resignation - though the prime minister did not accept it.

Members of the US Congress have been calling for Washington to cut its billions of dollars in aid to Islamabad, saying some Pakistani officials must have known Bin Laden was hiding in the country.

On Saturday, the parliament in Islamabad said the American operation was a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty.

The MPs' resolution was passed after a joint session, under heightened security, lasting more than 10 hours.

"The people of Pakistan will no longer tolerate such actions and a repeat of unilateral measures could have dire consequences for peace and security in the region and the world," the AFP news agency quoted the resolution as saying.

An investigation should take place to "fix responsibility and recommend necessary measures to ensure that such an incident does not recur", it added.

The resolution also labelled as "unacceptable" the US use of pilotless planes to attack militants along the mountainous border with Afghanistan.

It said if the attacks did not stop, the government should consider halting the transit of supplies through its territory for Nato forces in Afghanistan.

More than 100 drone strikes are estimated to have been carried out last year.

Correspondents say Islamabad has tacitly approved of such US air strikes, although Pakistani leaders have always denied supporting them.

In recent months senior Pakistani security officials have reportedly been pressing for a limit to such operations, in the face of public anger over civilian casualties.

Photograph lawsuit
US Senator John Kerry, who is on a visit to Afghanistan before heading to Pakistan, said there were "serious questions that need to be answered" in the US-Pakistan relationship.

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In pictures: Bombs wreak havoc
Eyewitness: Carnage in Shabqadar
Mr Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif: "We're not trying to find a way to break the relationship apart, we're trying to find a way to build it."

However the Democrat senator, who is close to the Obama administration, said that if the US came to believe Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar was in Pakistan, the US would "always reserve all of its options to be able to protect our people".

During the parliamentary session, Pakistan's army chiefs appeared before MPs to explain their actions over Bin Laden's death.

Lt Gen Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, head of Pakistan's security services, is reported to have told MPs that he had offered to quit after the US Navy Seals raid, but had been turned down by the army chief.

Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said Lt Gen Pasha had told MPs he was ready to take responsibility for any criminal failing.

Pakistani leaders have insisted they had no idea Bin Laden was holed up in the country.

Separately in the US, Judicial Watch, a conservative lobby group, has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the defence department, calling for the publication of the photographs of Bin Laden's body.

Its president, Tom Fitton, said the "American people have a right to know, by law, basic information about the killing".

President Barack Obama has said publication of the "gruesome" photos could incite violence and threaten US national security.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13398281

Ungreatful much? The USA spends 47 cents a buck on protection over there and killed the world's biggest terrorist and some people give them this as thanks.

[Ajthedragon]

Good on them. The USA have no right to do into the Pakisatni airspace.

They should have told Pakistani officials before they sent Helicopters to kill Osama imo.

I have to say though... it is a bit harsh. Kinda promoting terrorism.

[-:Undertaker:-]

The United States violated Pakistani sovereign airspace and thats an act that, if China or Russia did to the United States - the U.S. would find unacceptable. The United States needs to bring its troops home from across the world, from Europe and the Middle East thus closing its military bases. It also needs to stop sending out aid to the likes of Pakistan and all countries, aid of which it simply cannot afford. If the United States continues down the path it is taking, it will face the same end as the British Empire - bankruptcy.



Ron Paul 2012, for the sake of America.

[Technologic]

They should have at least informed them beforehand, even if they didnt go into detail..... the US seems to find it difficult to distinguish between Afghanistan and Pakistan

[GommeInc]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13398281

Ungreatful much? The USA spends 47 cents a buck on protection over there and killed the world's biggest terrorist and some people give them this as thanks.

Well it is Pakistan who are going to get the full force of the attacks. The US are getting away freely with what they did, by violating a country. Yes, the US killed a wanted man, but it's Pakistan who are going to get attacked for what the US had done.

[Chippiewill]

Obama has now made an official statement.

The following is rather rude.

Show Hide

We're *****! We're reckless, arrogant, stupid *****.
And the Film Actors GuildPakistani are *******.
Kin Joh IllAl Queda is an *******.

******* don't like ***** because ******* get ****** by *****. But ***** also **** ********. ******** that just want to **** on everything. ******* may think they can deal with ******** their way. But the only thing that can **** a ******* is a ****, with some balls. The problem with ***** is they **** too much or **** when it isn't appropriate. And it takes a ***** to show them that. But sometimes ******* can be so full of **** that they become ******** themselves. Because ******* are a inch and half away from ********. I don't know much about this crazy crazy world, but I do know this. If you don't let us **** this ******* we're going to have our ***** and ******* all covered in ****.

[Inseriousity.]

I can see the argument from both sides. It's their country, the US wouldn't like Pakistan to go into their country without warning them first but likewise they may be didn't inform them because of these alleged corrupt activities so they could capture someone who has been on the run for 10 years! Ultimately I'm going to side with Pakistan as a matter of principle really. The US wouldn't like it if another country did a secret mission on their land so why they should expect any difference from other countries is sheer arrogance.

[Oleh]

If they had informed them prior to the attack there is a huge chance that bin laden would still be alive and hiding.

[ifuseekamy]

They're right to say that, American has a habit of acting like world police. However, Pakistan isn't really in a position to be biting the hand that feeds it; what exactly will they be reviewing? The amount of aid that they receive from America to pay for their warfare?

[JerseySafety]

Stuff pakistan; at least America got the job done; I mean they're could be another 9/11 type of event.