Abbottabad Letters of Osama Bin Laden

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Abbottabad Letters of Osama Bin Laden

  Nadeem Malik

Osama Bin Laden’s Abbottabad Letter: Bin Ladin’s documents do not explicitly point to any institutional Pakistani support for Bin Ladin. Bin Ladin’s second main concern was to find alternative places outside Afghanistan and Pakistan to mount “external operations.”

Abbottabad Letter of Osama Bin Laden.pdf

In contrast to Bin Ladin’s public statements that focused on the injustice of those he believed to be the “enemies” (a`da’) of Muslims, namely corrupt “apostate” Muslim rulers and their Western “overseers,” the focus of his private letters is Muslims’ suffering at the hands of his jihadi “brothers” (ikhwa). He was at pains advising them to abort domestic attacks that cause Muslim civilian casualties and instead focus on the United States, “our desired goal.” Bin Ladin’s frustration with regional jihadi groups and his seeming inability to exercise control over their actions and public statements is the most compelling story to be told on the basis of the 17 declassified documents. The main points from each of the report’s four sections are briefly summarized below.

Nadeem Malik

Documents Found from Osama’s Abbottabad Home (Thought to be his speech etc.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IufW9thafQw http://youtu.be/IufW9thafQw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gQkT04vbys&feature=fvwrel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=779OY7IgCfE

Nadeem Malik

Pakistan

Unlike the explicit and relatively substantive references to the Iranian regime, the documents do not have such references about Pakistan. Although there are notes about “trusted Pakistani brothers,” there are no explicit references to any institutional Pakistani support. The one instance Pakistani intelligence is mentioned is not in a supporting role: in the course of giving detailed instructions about the passage his released family from Iran should take, Bin Ladin cautioned `Atiyya to be most careful about their movements lest they be followed. More precisely, he remarked that “if the [Pakistani] intelligence commander in the region is very alert, he would assume that they are heading to my location and he would monitor them until they reach their destination.”203 This reference does not suggest that Bin Ladin was on good terms with the Pakistani intelligence community. Another reference worth highlighting in this regard, is that Bin Ladin did not appear to enjoy freedom of movement with his family. In his long list of security measures to be followed by the “brothers” to evade the eyes of the authorities, he wrote to `Atiyya that it is most important not to allow children to leave the house except in emergency situations. For nine years prior to his death, Usama bin Ladin proudly told `Atiyya that he and his family adhered to such strict measures, precluding his children from playing outdoors without the supervision of an adult who could keep their voices down.204 Bin Ladin, it was said, could run but he could not hide. He seems to have done very little running and quite a lot of hiding. Rather than outright protection or assistance from states such as Iran or Pakistan, Bin Ladin’s guidance suggests that the group’s leaders survived for as long as they did due to their own caution and operational security protocols.205 While the release of new documents may necessitate a reevaluation of al-Qa`ida’s relations to Iran and Pakistan, the documents for now make it clear that al-Qa`ida’s ties to Iran were the unpleasant byproduct of necessity, fueled by mutual distrust and antagonism. The limited discussion of the Pakistani military does not lend itself to any final determination on ties between bin laden and Pakistani state or actors within it, but bin laden’s emphasis on security precautions suggests that fear and suspicion dominated his calculations.

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had a contentious and  troubled relationship with al Qaeda’s affiliates around the world,according to a  new study of documents seized during the raid on his compound one year ago.  Documents from the bin Laden compound reveal the al Qaeda leader’s frustration  with what he saw to be the incompetence of the affiliates, according to the  report by the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West  Point.

Here are some excerpts from the report. The full report is posted here, and here are  the actual (translated) letters.

The Scope of the Report

It was reported that “thousands of items” were captured from Usama bin  Ladin’s compound during the Abbottabad raid. To date, however, only 17 documents  have been declassified and provided to the CTC, all of which are hereby released  with the publication of this report. They consist of electronic letters or draft  letters, totaling 175 pages in the original Arabic and 197 pages in the English  translation. They were written over several years. The earliest is dated  September 2006 and the latest April 2011, a week before Bin Ladin’s  death.

Management Trouble

Rather than a source of strength, Bin Ladin was burdened by what he viewed as  the incompetence of the “affiliates,” including their lack of political acumen  to win public support, their media campaigns and their poorly planned operations  which resulted in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of Muslims.

The documents show that some of the affiliates sought Bin Ladin’s blessing on  symbolic matters, such as declaring an Islamic state, and wanted a formal union  to acquire the al- Qa`ida brand. On the operational front, however, the  affiliates either did not consult with Bin Ladin or were not prepared to follow  his directives. Therefore, the framing of an “AQC” [Al Qaeda Central] as an  organization in control of regional “affiliates” reflects a conceptual  construction by outsiders rather than the messy reality of insiders.

If the criticisms of AQI [Al Qaeda in Iraq] in the documents are not  particularly surprising, the concerns Bin Ladin expressed about AQAP [Al Qaeda  in the Arabian Peninsula] will no doubt be revealing to many. It is widely  believed that AQAP is a success story from al-Qa`ida’s perspective, especially  since it is regularly described by senior U.S. government officials as the “most  dangerous” of al- Qa`ida’s affiliates. Yet the documents show that at least in  2010 Bin Ladin was far from being impressed with the  brothers in Yemen.” He  comes across as critical of both their words and deeds, in particular the  group’s attacks in Yemen, its lack of acumen to win the Yemeni people’s support,  and the ill-advised public statements of its leaders. In fact, with the possible  exception of AQI, none of the other “affiliates” appear to be more of a source  of concern for Bin Ladin than AQAP.

Not Friendly With Iran

Relations between al-Qa`ida and Iran appear to have been highly antagonistic,  and the documents provide evidence for the first time of al-Qa`ida’s covert  campaign against Iran. This battle appears to have been an attempt to influence  the indirect and unpleasant negotiations over the release of jihadis and their  families, including members of Bin Ladin’s family, detained by  Iran.

Pakistan

Unlike the explicit and relatively substantive references to the Iranian  regime, the documents do not have such references about Pakistan. Although there  are notes about “trusted Pakistani brothers,” there are no explicit references  to any institutional Pakistani support. The one instance Pakistani intelligence  is mentioned is not in a supporting role: in the course of giving detailed  instructions about the passage his released family from Iran should take, Bin  Ladin cautioned `Atiyya to be most careful about their movements lest they be  followed. More precisely, he remarked that “if the [Pakistani] intelligence  commander in the region is very alert, he would assume that they are heading to  my location and he would monitor them until they reach their destination.” This  reference does not suggest that Bin Ladin was on good terms with the Pakistani  intelligence community.

On Their Own

Rather than outright protection or assistance from states such as Iran or  Pakistan, Bin Ladin’s guidance suggests that the group’s leaders survived for as  long as they did due to their own caution and operational security protocols.  While the release of new documents may necessitate a reevaluation of al-Qa`ida’s  relations to Iran and Pakistan, the documents for now make it clear that  al-Qa`ida’s ties to Iran were the unpleasant byproduct of necessity, fueled by  mutual distrust and antagonism.

Arab Spring and the Final Letter

Bin Ladin’s last private letter is dated 25 April 2011. By then, events in  the world, as he was observing them on his television screen, were unfolding at  a pace that caused him to reassess his worldview. He saw the revolutions  sweeping the Arab world to represent a “formidable event” (hadath ha’il), a  turning point in the modern history of the umma. At the time he was writing, the  presidents of Tunisia and Egypt, Zein al-`Abidin bin `Ali and Husni Mubarak, had  fallen. Bin Ladin was convinced that their fall was bound to trigger a domino  effect, and “the fall of the remaining tyrants in the region was inevitable.” Thus, “if we double our efforts towards guiding, educating and warning Muslim  people from those [who might tempt them to settle for] half solutions, by  carefully presenting [our] advice, then the next phase will [witness a victory]  for Islam, if God so pleases.”

Conclusion: No Puppet Master

On the basis of the 17 declassified documents, Bin Ladin was not, as many  thought, the puppet master pulling the strings that set in motion jihadi groups  around the world. Far from being pleased with the actions of regional jihadi  groups claiming affiliation with or acting in the name of al-Qa`ida, Bin Ladin  was burdened by what he saw as their incompetence. Their lack of political  acumen to win public support along with their indiscriminate attacks resulting  in the deaths of many Muslims is a subject that dominates Bin Ladin’s private  letters composed in recent years.Bin Ladin was not even inspired by Inspire, AQAP’s English-language magazine  designed to appeal to Muslim Americans to launch random attacks in the United  States. He warned of its “dangerous consequences,” presumably due to its  tasteless content and no doubt to the poor planning of the operations it  promotes.In comparison to regional jihadi groups, Bin Ladin comes across as an  outmoded jihadi. In contrast to their indiscriminate jihad, he was more  interested in carefully planned operations.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/05/03/excerpts-the-bin-laden-letters-from-abbottabadreport/

The correspondence includes letters by then-second-in-command Abu Yahya al-Libi, taking Pakistani offshoot Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan to task over its indiscriminate attacks on Muslims. The Al-Qaeda leadership “threatened to take public measures unless we see from you serious and immediate practical and clear steps towards reforming (your ways) and dissociating yourself from these vile mistakes that violate Islamic Law,” al-Libi wrote. And bin Laden warned the leader of Yemeni AQAP, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, against attempting a takeover of Yemen to establish an Islamic state, instead saying he should “refocus his efforts on attacking the United States.” Bin Laden also seemed uninterested in recognising Somali-based al-Shabab when the group pledged loyalty to him because he thought its leaders were poor governors of the areas they controlled and were too strict with their administration of Islamic penalties, like cutting off the hands of thieves. The US said the letters reflect al-Qaeda’s relationship with Iran – a point of deep interest to the US government – as “not one of alliance, but of indirect and unpleasant negotiations” over some al-Qaeda terrorists and their families who were imprisoned in Iran. Nothing in the papers that were released points directly to alleged al-Qaeda sympathisers in Pakistan’s government, although presumably such references would have remained classified. Bin Laden described “trusted Pakistani brothers” but didn’t identify any Pakistani government or military officials who might have been aware or complicit in his hiding in Abbottabad. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of bin Laden’s documents the US was still keeping secret. In a note published with the 175 pages in Arabic that were released Thursday, along with English translations, retired General John Abizaid said they probably represent only a small fraction of materials taken from the compound in the US raid that tracked down and killed bin Laden in May 2011. The US said the documents span September 2006 to April 2011. Bin Laden was proud of the security measures that kept his family safe for many years, the report said. It said bin Laden boasted that his family “adhered to such strict measures, precluding his children from playing outdoors without the supervision of an adult who could keep their voices down.” The report said the Special Forces troops in the bin Laden raid were trained to search the home afterward for thumb drives, printed documents and what it described as “pocket litter” that might produce leads to other terrorists. “The end of the raid in Abbottabad was the beginning of a massive analytical effort,” it said. It said the personal files showed that, during one of the most significant manhunts in history, bin Laden was out of touch with the day-to-day operations of various terrorist groups inspired by Al-Qaeda. He was “not in sync on the operational level with its so-called affiliates,” researchers wrote. “Bin Laden enjoyed little control over either groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda in name or so-called fellow travellers.”

NADEEM MALIK

I want to remind them of the importance of the people’s first impression of who is addressing them, especially when he bears great responsibility. Since we carry the responsibility of a call that we want to deliver to the people, this takes care to find out what suits the people and the path from which you can reach them, deliver the faith to them, and convince them with it. Page 35 Part of this is to eliminate any strange appearance that will make them wonder and to adopt what they are used to, such as appearing in the media in true name, even if just a first name, and also appearing in Arab dress, as it is closer to the people than the dress of the people in these areas. (I also want to remind you that) people like short audio and video speeches and to disseminate what you can on the Internet. These are just opinions and I am open to your opinion. 15- You should send (a message) to the brothers in all the regions saying that a minimum of two brothers should be sent for suicide operations; they should not send a single suicide brother. We have experienced this in many operations where the percentage of success was very low, due to the psychological effects that overcome the brother in such cases. The most recent of which was the operation in which our brothers targeted the British Ambassador in Yemen, and one of our brothers, Allah have mercy on his soul, conducted it. Regardless of the heroism of the brother and his steadfastness, the psychological factors that affect the person in such cases necessitate the presence of a companion that will support and bolster him. Some people will say that some of the Prophet’s companions conducted operations alone. This is a very different example: They were not suicide operations, and that is where the big difference lies. 16- I asked Shaykh Sa’id, Allah have mercy on his soul, to task brother Ilyas to prepare two groups – one in Pakistan and the other in the Bagram area of Afghanistan – with the mission of Page 36 anticipating and spotting the visits of Obama or Petraeus to Afghanistan or Pakistan to target the aircraft of either one of them. They are not to target visits by US Vice President Biden,

Islamabad Tonight – 4th May 2012 Lt. Gen (R) Hameed Gul Former Chief ISItalking about “OBL Issue, Pak America Relations” in Islamabad Tonight with Nadeem Malik

NADEEM MALIK

Abbottabad Letter of Osama Bin Laden.pdf

Islamabad Tonight: Recommendations of Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS)

Islamabad Tonight – 20th March 2012 Islamabad Tonight with Nadeem Malik Guest: Senator Ishaq Dar, Syed Talat Hussain and Dr. Moeed Pirzada on Recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) and Challenges of Pak-US Relations

Islamabad Tonight – 20th March 2012 Islamabad Tonight with Nadeem Malik Guest: Senator Ishaq Dar, Syed Talat Hussain and Dr. Moeed Pirzada on Recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) and Challenges of Pak-US Relations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KCfPOeBs9Ko

پارلیمانی کمیٹی نے اپنی سفارشات میں امریکہ سے اپنی پالیسیوں پر نظر ثانی کی درخواست کی ہے۔ طلعت حسین کی اسلام آباد ٹونائٹ میں گفتگو

پارلیمانی کمیٹی کی سکیورٹی کے حوالے سے رپورٹ بہت ٹلٹڈ ہے۔طلعت حسین

پاکستان امریکہ سے کہہ رہا ہے کہ وہ اپنی پالیسیوں کی وضاحت کرے۔ ڈاکٹر معید

پاکستان اور امریکہ فوجی سطح پر پہلے ہی معاملات طے کر چکے ہیں اسے صرف پارلیمانی کور دیا جا رہا ہے۔ ڈاکٹر معید

پارلیمانی کمیٹی نے اپنی رپورٹ میں پاک ایران گیس پائپ لائن کا زکر کیا ہے جس کا سارے معاملہ سے کوئی تعلق نہیں ہے۔ڈاکٹر معید

سلالہ کا واقع نہ ہوتا اور میڈیا معاملات کو نہ اٹھاتا تو پارلیمانی کمیٹی کی رپورٹ کبھی نہیں آتی۔ طلعت حسین

پارلیمانی کمیٹی کی رپورٹ بہت کمزور ہے۔ ڈاکٹر معید

پارلیمانی کمیٹی کی رپورٹ حتمی نہیں ہے صرف سفارشات پیش کی گئی ہیں۔ اسحق ڈار

پارلیمنٹ نے امریکی ڈرون حملے روکنے کی بجائے امریکہ سے اپنی پالیسی پر نظر ثانی کی درخواست کی ہے۔ طلعت حسین

مشرف اور شوکت عزیز نے امریکہ کی نیٹو سپالائی بالکل مفت دی ہوئی تھی۔ اسحق ڈار

پارلیمانی کمیٹی نے فیصلہ کیا ہے کہ آئیندہ نیٹو سپلائی پر چارجز لگیں گے۔ اسحق ڈار

بہت سے امریکی ایجنٹس کنٹریکترز کی شکل میں پاکستان کے اندر موجود ہیں۔ ڈاکٹر معید

پاکستان میں امریکی ایجنٹس بغیر کسی اطلاع کے کام کر رہے ہیں۔ طلعت حسین

ایک رپورٹ کے مطابق پاکستان کے اندر سی آئی اے کا دنیا کا دوسرا بڑا نیت ورک کام کر رہا ہے۔ طلعت حسین

پاکستان میں سی آئی اے ایجنٹوں کا نیٹ ورک موجود ہے اور اس کی تعداد ہزاروں میں ہے۔ اسحق ڈار

امریکی سی آئی اے کے ایجنٹس پاکستان میں موجود ہیں لیکن ہماری حکومت کو معلوم نہیں کہ وہ کیا کر رہے ہیں۔ ڈاکٹر معید

موجودہ حکومت نے مشرف کی پالیسیوں کو ہی جاری رکھا ہے۔ طلعت حسین

پارلیمانی کمیٹی کو اپنی ایجنسیوں کو غیر ملکی ایجنٹوں کو ڈھونڈھ کر پارلیمنٹ کے سامنے رپورٹ پیش کرنے کا ٹارگٹ دینا چاہئیے۔طلعت حسین

کیا خبر امریکہ اپنے ایجنٹوں کے زریعے پاکستان کی سر زمین بھارت اور ایران کے خلاف استعمال کر رہا ہو۔ ڈاکٹر معید

حکومت اور فوج ہمیں کبھی صاف بات نہیں بتاتے ہمیشہ متضاد باتیں بتائی جاتی ہیں۔ ڈاکٹر معید

امریکہ کی طرف سے اوبامہ نہیں تو کم از کم ہیلری کو معافی مانگنی چاہئیے۔ اسحق ڈار

امریکہ کے پاکستان کے اندر معاملات کے تمام تانے بانے پارلیمنٹ کے ساتھ جا کر ملتے ہیں۔ طلعت حسین

امریکہ کے ایجنٹس پاکستان میں کیا کرتے ہیں اور کہاں جاتے ہیں پتہ ہونا چاہئیے۔ طلعت حسین

امریکہ اپنے پروگرامز پاکستانی میڈیا پر کیسے چلا رہا ہے وضاحت ہونی چاہئیے۔ طلعت حسین

پاکستان اور امریکہ کے درمیان ہونے والی ہر ملاقات کا ریکرڈ رکھا جانا چاہئیے۔ طلعت حسین

امریکہ کنٹریکٹرز کی شکل میں اپنی ایجنٹوں کی تفصیلات بتائے۔ ڈاکٹر معید

امریکہ پاکستان میں بلوچ علیحیدگی پسندوں کی مدد کر رہا ہے اس کی وضاحت کرے۔ڈاکٹر معید

ہمیں بلوچوں کو یہ بھی دکھانا ہو گا کہ ہم ان کے ساتھ ہونے والی زیادتیوں کا تدارک کریں گے۔ اسحق ڈار

Faultlines in the Frontline : Relations with the United States

Relations with the United States - My Proposals

By Nadeem Malik

The United States has not paid a penny out of the coalition support fund (CSF) since June 2010, almost 40 percent war bills submitted by Islamabad before that were rejected considering inflated, the amounts pledged under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Law never materialized and so called strategic dialogue process led us to nowhere.

With Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) deliberations and recommendations finalized, some key issues need to be discussed threadbare for few days in the Joint Sitting of the Parliament, instead of acting as a Rubber Stamp to put a seal of approval on whatever has been tabled in the House. The reality so far is that this parliament approves everything which has the blessings of President Asif Zardari, PML (N) Chief Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. The Parliament itself does not bother to use its wisdom on issues which relates to the national security of the motherland.

As a basic rule of thumb, there should be no unnecessary dragging of dispute with the United States, which so far remains our single largest trading partner and a key donor, with powers to hold massive votes on the boards of the Bretons Woods Institutions. It also remains the major arms supplier of our armed forces and we get our beloved F-16s from them. So rationale should prevail.

However, there needs to be no leniency on free-for-all CIA operations in Pakistan. There should be no place for private contractors of the US Department of Defense (DoD) and the State Department. Americans should never be allowed to recruit locals for espionage in tribal areas or any other part of Pakistan (They are freely doing it since 9/11). There should be no scope of US Special Operation Forces in Tarbella Ghazi or no Trainers on our bases and there should be no imbedded soldiers on our land.

NATO supplies should be resumed provided that are fully monitored, a log is maintained at entry and exit points and a transit fee is charged, plus a road user tax. The US maybe asked to develop automated border points along the Afghan border for entry/exit of such goods; with guarantee that they will not find their way back into Pakistani market (Many such goods are being sold in Bara Markets).

Pakistan should also facilitate peace talks with the Taliban, provided all Afghan factions, like Mullah Omar, Haqqanis, Hikmatyar and other Pashtuns are fully represented. The US should guarantee that Indian consulates in Afghanistan close to Pak-Afghan border would wound up hostile activities in the Pakistani tribal belt and Balochistan. The US also need to pledge that special terrorist camps in areas like Kunnar, Nuristan and Khost where anti-Pakistan Taliban factions are being provided logistical support for regrouping, training and funding seize to exist.

Pakistan should not be used as a launching pad to attack any neighboring country, including Afghanistan and mainly Iran. Any hostile activity by groups close to the American CIA/MI6 or any other hostile agency in Balochistan must come to an end immediately.

Last, but not the least, if US wants us to be treated as equal partners in the region, the US Administration has to announce a clear policy of equality in civil nuclear cooperation, at par with India. Washington has to withdraw the threat of sanctions on Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project, as half of Pakistan faces blackouts every day or provide us guaranteed supplies at competitive rates for next 25 years in the shape of LNGs, TAPI Gas Pipeline and investments in our hydel generation capacity.

Pakistan, as a matter of principle, needs to address the issue of terrorism as a whole. Pakistani soil should not be allowed as a playground to train Jihadis for Afghanistan and should never be allowed to be exploited by any armed-radical groups for extortions, ransom and kidnappings. The future of our people is peace and security not in gang wars and suicide training camps.

FOLLOWING ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PCNS

Nadeem Malik

سلالہ حملے پر امريکا سے غير مشروط معافي طلب کي جائے اور حملے کے ذمہ داروں کو انصاف کے کٹہرے ميں لايا جائے، پاکستان کو يقين دہاني کرائي جائے کہ آئندہ ايسے حملے نہيں کئے جائيں گے، پاکستان کے اندر کوئي خفيہ يہ اعلانيہ آپريشن برداشت نہيں کيا جائے گا، وزارت دفاع اور ايساف کے درميان مفاہمت کي يادداشت پر نظر ثاني کي جاے، پاکستان کي سرزمين پر ڈرون حملے نہيں ہونے چاہيئں کيونکہ يہ حملے مقامي آبادي کو انتہا …پسندي کي طرف دھکيلتے ہيں، پاکستان کے ايٹمي پروگرام پر کوئي سمجھوتہ نہيں ہوسکتا، پاکستان کي سرزمين پر کوئي امريکي تعاقب اور فوجي بوٹس نہيں ہونے چاہئيں، پاکستان اور امريکا کے درميان سول نيوکليئر معاہدہ ہو نا چاہيئے، افغانستان کے مسئلے کا کوئي فوجي حل نہيں، امريکا سے تعلقات باہمي احترام اور خود مختاري کي بنياد پر ہونے چاہئيں، کسي بھي ملک سے باني معاہدہ نہيں کيا جائے، امريکا پاکستان ميں اپني موجودگي کا از سر نو جائزہ لے، ايران سے گيس پائپ لائن منصوبے پر تندہي سے عمل کيا جائے.رضا رباني

Pakistan seeks unconditional apology on Nato killings

Pakistani lawmakers have opened a debate on the terms of the nation’s re-engagement with the United States after ties were all but severed following deadly American air-strikes on Pakistani troops in November.“Pakistan wants to pursue good relations with every country, Pakistan also wants to pursue its own national interest,” foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar told reporters after the session.The session on Tuesday, being attended by both the upper and lower houses and chaired by the recently appointed Senate Chairman Nayyar Bokhari, could help determine whether the country’s reopens US and Nato supply linesto Afghanistan.The parliament was also briefed on the details of Pakistan’s sensitive defence pacts in an in-camera session.

The parliamentary commission has also demanded an end to American drone strikes inside the country and is seeking an unconditional apology for the Nato attack that killed 24 soldiers in Pakistan.

Raza Rabbani, chairman of a parliamentary committee on national security, outlined its recommendations in that those responsible for the attack should be brought to justice and the recommendations also said that any use of Pakistani bases or airspace by foreign forces would require parliament’s approval.

“The US must review its footprints in Pakistan,” he said. “This means the cessation of drone strikes inside Pakistan.”

The Ministry of Defense and US/Nato/Isaf were also told to draft new flying routes for areas close to the border.

The panel recommended that “Pakistan should seek an unconditional apology from the US for the unprovoked incident” and said “taxes and other charges must be levied on all goods importing in or transiting through Pakistan”.

Rabbani said that if and when supplies to foreign forces in Afghanistan are resumed, the shipments must be taxed. He insisted that parliament should approve any future use of Pakistani bases or air space by foreign forces.

The commission said that the re-opening of the US/Nato supply route must be based on a thorough revision of the terms of conditions of the agreement, which shall be subject to strict monitoring within Pakistan on anti-entry, transit and exit points.

It was also suggested that no verbal agreement regarding national security shall be entered into by the government or any other ministry or department.

The commission said that no overt or covert operation inside Pakistan shall be tolerated. It also suggested that there should be prior permission and transparency on the number and presence of foreign intelligence operatives in Pakistan.

The commission recommended to the government that Pakistan should actively pursue the gas pipeline project with Iran.

It was also recommended that 50 per cent of US/Nato/Isaf containers may be handled through Pakistan Railways.

The session was adjourned until Monday on Opposition Leader Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan’s request to give lawmakers time to study the recommendations.

Nisar criticised the government for keeping the report “secret” and failing to give party leaders time to discuss it before tabling it in parliament.

The parliament, which will now meet on Monday, will debate for several days and then vote on whether to accept the report.

Gen. James Mattis, commander of US Central Command, said earlier this month he expected to visit Pakistan in mid-to-late March to talk with leaders about reopening the supply routes. His would be the first trip by a US military official since the airstrikes, and will be taken as a high-level sign that Pakistan’s army leadership wants to re-engage.

http://www.dawn.com/2012/03/20/pakistani-parliament-starts-debate-on-ties-with-us.html

Nato attack: Parliamentary committee says Pakistan should demand apology

The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) has recommended that Pakistan should demand an unconditional apology from the United States for the Nato attack on Salala check  post which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26, 2011.

PCNS Chairman Senator Raza Rabbani, reading the recommendations during a joint session of Parliament on Tuesday, stated that the attack was a “breach of international law and constitutes blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. The statement added that the Pakistani government should not only seek an apology but those behind the attack must also be brought to justice.

“Pakistan should be given assurances that such attack or any other attack impinging on Pakistan’s sovereignty will not reoccur and the Nato, ISAF, US will take effective measures to avoid any such measures.”

The committee also said that it wants the US to put a stop to drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

It also recommends that there should be transparency on the number of foreign intelligence operators in Pakistan and prior permission be awarded and says no covert operations will be tolerated inside the country.

The United States must review its footsteps in Pakistan which means the secession of US drone strikes inside the territorial borders of Pakistan, (ii) no hot pursuit of boots on Pakistani territory, (iii) the activity of foreign private security contractors must be transparent and subject to Pakistani law. It needs to realise that drones are counter-productive, cause loss of valuable lives and property, radicalises the local population, create support for terrorists and fuel anti-US sentiments.

The statement also said that at least 50% of Nato containers passing through Pakistan may be handled through Pakistan Railways and added: “Any consideration of the reopening of Nato, ISAF, US containers must be contingent on a thorough revision of terms and conditions of the agreement including regulation and control on movement of goods.”

The statement said: “Taxes and other charges must be levied on all goods imported in or transmitting through Pakistan for the use of infrastructure and to compensate for its deterioration.”

The bicameral parliamentary committee was constituted to review terms of engagement with the US before going for normalisation of bilateral ties.

The revised terms of engagements also stated that all agreements including military cooperation and logistics will be circulated to the foreign ministry and concerned authorities. “All agreements will be vetted by the Ministry of Law and Justice and parliamentary affair.”

Relationships with the USA should be based on mutual respect for sovereignty, for independence and territorial integrity for each other.

The report emphasises that Pakistan’s nuclear program and assets including its safety and security cannot be compromised. “The US-Indo civil nuclear agreement has significantly altered the strategic balance in the region, therefore, Pakistan should seek from the US and others a similar treatment.”

It said that the strategic position of Pakistan regarding India on the subject of FMCT must not be compromised and this principle be kept in view in negotiations on this matter.

The report also reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to the elimination of terrorism and combating extremism in pursuance of its national interest.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/352546/nato-attack-parliamentary-committee-says-pakistan-should-demand-unconditional-apology/