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Pakistan on Tuesday temporarily recalled some troops from borderposts meant to coordinate activity with international forces inAfghanistan as relations have been pushed to an all-time low byNATO airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The troops were pulled back for "consultation" on howto improve coordination with NATO and should be back at their postswithin the next few days, said Pakistan Army spokesman Maj. Gen.Athar Abbas. He did not specify the number of troops who would berecalled, but said some would remain at the border centres. The decision, however, highlighted current problems withcoordination because U.S. military officials seemed to think it wasanother retaliatory move by Pakistan for the NATO strikes. Theofficials feared it would hamper efforts to liaise with Pakistaniforces and increase the risk for another misunderstanding. U.S. military officials said late Monday that Pakistan was pullingout of at least two of the three centres along the border andexpressed concern about the potential impact. They spoke oncondition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The U.S. and Pakistan have offered different accounts of what ledto the NATO attacks against two army posts along the Afghan borderbefore dawn on November 26, 2011 but the deadly incident seems tohave been caused in part by communication breakdowns. The soldiers' deaths have further strained already tenseU.S.-Pakistan relations, threatening Washington's attempts toget Pakistan to cooperate on the Afghan war. Pakistan retaliated immediately by closing its Afghan bordercrossings to NATO supplies, demanding the U.S. vacate an air baseused by American drones and boycotting an international conferenceheld on Monday in Bonn, Germany, aimed at stabilising Afghanistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told The Associated Press in an interview on Monday that Pakistan wants to repair relationswith the United States. But there is still simmering anger in thecountry and ties have steadily deteriorated despite billions ofdollars in American aid. NATO attacks have killed Pakistani troops at least three differenttimes along the porous and poorly defined border since 2008, butthe November 26, 2011 incident in the Mohmand tribal area was byfar the most deadly. U.S. officials have said the strike occurred when a joint U.S. andAfghan patrol requested air support after coming under fire. TheU.S. checked with the Pakistan military to see if friendly troopswere in the area and were told there were not, they said. Pakistan has said the Americans gave the wrong coordinates anallegation denied by U.S. defence officials. Pakistani officialshave also said the attack continued even after military authoritiescontacted one of the border coordination centres. Mr. Gilani said on Monday that negotiating new ties with the U.S.would ensure that the two countries "respected eachother's red lines" regarding sovereignty and rules ofengagement along the border. "We really want to have good relations with the U.S. based onmutual respect and clearly defined parameters," he said inthe interview at his residence in the eastern city of Lahore. Despite Mr. Gilani's gentler rhetoric, the gulf between thetwo nations remains wide. U.S. officials have said the airstrikeshave been the most serious blow to a relationship that has beenbattered by a series of crises this year, including the covertAmerican raid that killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani garrisontown in May. Pakistan was outraged because it wasn't toldabout the operation beforehand. The Obama administration wants continued engagement even asPakistan's refusal to attack sanctuaries used by Afghaninsurgents along the border has fuelled criticism in Congress thecountry is a duplicitous ally unworthy of American aid. Many analysts believe Pakistan wants to preserve its historicalties with Afghan insurgents because they could be key allies inAfghanistan after foreign forces withdraw. Pakistan has said its troops are stretched too thin battlingPakistani Taliban militants at war with the state. A gunfightbetween soldiers and Pakistani Taliban fighters in the Kurramtribal area on Tuesday left two soldiers and 12 militants dead,said Wajid Khan, a local government administrator. Even if Pakistan won't attack Afghan insurgents, U.S.officials hope Pakistan will cooperate in pushing them toparticipate in peace talks. I am an expert from flatpanelledlights.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Flat Panel LED Lights , Flexible LED Strip Lights Manufacturer, Dimmable LED Light Bulbs,and more.
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