Pakistan’s army on Monday formally rejected a U.S. claim that American airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani troops last year were justified as self-defense.
In a detailed report, the army said that Pakistani troops did not trigger the Nov. 26 incident at two posts along the Afghan border by firing at American and Afghan forces, as the U.S. has alleged. Pakistan’s army said its troops shot at suspected militants who were nowhere near coalition troops.
This incident goes to show what can happen when there is poor communication and coordination between forces. I will have to say that the blame falls squarely on NATO, US, and Pakistani Operations Officers. Staff Officers can’t overlook important planning details even if they do seem to be small. This seems to be such a case.
Troops on the ground only have the intelligence that they are given by higher ups. If it is faulty their actions will be flawed and someone will get killed. This incident is a sad example of that. I really can’t fix blame on ground troops in this incident. It lies squarely on the shoulders of military planners. Our military ring customers who have to fight the gound war need for our planners to give them the best options to stay alive and defeat the enemy.










