Pakistani troops ordered to fire if US crosses

[unhappycamper]

A Pakistan soldier mans a machine gun in the troubled area of Bajur in Pakistan's tribal area Sept 16. Pakistan's military has ordered its forces to open fire if U.S. troops launch another raid across the Afghan border, an army spokesman said.


Pakistani troops ordered to fire if US crosses
By Stephen Graham - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Sep 17, 2008 6:29:58 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s army said Tuesday that its forces have orders to open fire if U.S. troops launch another raid across the Afghan border, raising the stakes in a dispute over how to tackle militant havens in Pakistan’s unruly border zone.

Adm. Mike Mullen, the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Pakistan late Tuesday amid the increased tensions. Mullen planned to meet with top civilian and military leaders to discuss a range of issues, including ways to improve coordination and cooperation along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

Pakistan’s government has faced rising popular anger over a Sept. 3 ground attack by U.S. commandos into South Waziristan, a base for Taliban militants killing ever more U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Pakistan says about 15 people were killed, all of them civilians.

The new firing orders were disclosed by Pakistani army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press.

Abbas said Pakistani field commanders have previously been tolerant about international forces crossing a short way into Pakistan because of the ill-defined and contested nature of the mountainous frontier.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/ap_mullen_pakistan_091608/%2e