Pakistan is blocking a supply line for coalition troops in the aftermath of a recent drone strike that is reported to have killed 24 Pakistan troops. Will there be reprisals? Read on:
From
War on Terror News:
Clinton, Panetta Monitor Reports of Pakistan Border Incident By Cheryl Pellerin, AFPS, WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2011 - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta are closely monitoring reports of a deadly cross-border incident in Pakistan yesterday, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said.
"Both offer their deepest condolences for the loss of life and support fully NATO's intention to investigate immediately," Kirby added.
In a statement from Kabul, ISAF officials said they are investigating an incident that occurred early yesterday morning along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
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According to news reports, dozens of soldiers were killed in the early morning hours across the border in Pakistan during air strikes by coalition forces...
More here.
Earlier from the CBC:
[...]
The incident was a major blow to American efforts to rebuild an already tattered alliance vital to winding down the 10-year-old Afghan war. Islamabad called the bloodshed in one of its tribal areas a "grave infringement" of the country's sovereignty.
The announcement in Washington came after Pakistan said it would block vital supply routes for U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan and demanded Washington vacate a base used by American drones after coalition aircraft allegedly attacked two posts along a mountainous frontier that serves as a safe haven for militants.
A NATO spokesman said it was likely that coalition airstrikes caused Pakistani casualties, but an investigation was being conducted to determine the details. If confirmed, it would be the deadliest friendly fire incident by NATO against Pakistani troops since the Afghan war began a decade ago....
More here.
The Guardian weighs in, concerning the possibility of reprisals:
[...]
Nato forces in Afghanistan are bracing for possible reprisals from Pakistani-backed insurgents following the coalition air strike along the border that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Senior officers from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf), were scrambling to resume contacts with their Pakistani counterparts in the hopes of setting up a joint investigation into the incident.
But Pakistani officers severed communications and Islamabad cut Isaf's two supply routes running through Pakistan.
It also gave the US two weeks to vacate the Shamsi airbase in Balochistan, which has been used to launch American drone aircraft....
Much more here. Interesting comments in the comments section on JihadWatch, too, which is where I found the Guardian article.
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