U.S. defends Pakistan incursion as 'self-defense'

[unhappycamper]

U.S. defends Pakistan incursion as 'self-defense'
By Jonathan S. Landay and Saeed Shah | McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Monday, September 27, 2010

KABUL, Afghanistan — Pakistan protested angrily Monday after the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan confirmed that its helicopters staged cross-border air strikes last week against Pakistan-based Afghan militants "in self defense."

Islamabad's sharp reaction to the helicopter strikes Saturday came despite a long-standing understanding that allows the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force to pursue militants who attack Afghanistan from bases in Pakistan's rugged tribal territory.

ISAF usually informs the Pakistani military of any such incursion, but "in this instance, there was no coordination until after, because of the imminent danger to the troops," said a U.S. defense official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. "This goes to the inherent right of self-defense."

In a related development, U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander of coalition forces, said that U.S.-backed Afghan President Hamid Karzai had received overtures from senior Taliban leaders responding to his initiative to open peace negotiations.

"There are very high-level Taliban leaders who have sought to reach out to the highest levels of the Afghan government, and they have done that," Petraeus told reporters after a tour of a detention facility for suspected insurgents at Bagram, the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan.

[spanone]

1. it appears the military is now in charge of our foreign policy

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Are you suggesting that the cross-border incursion into Cambod...ah...

Pakistan is not justified?

[Fumesucker]

3. The military has been in charge of our foreign policy for my entire adult life..

And I was born during the Truman administration.