Pakistan's existence under threat: But from whom?

Extremist forces threaten the very existence of Pakistan, the incoming US commander in the region warned on Thursday.

General David Petraeus, who will take charge of US forces in southwest Asia and the Middle East next month, told reporters that Pakistani and US-led troops would have to work together to defeat the Taliban and al-Qaeda. “Pakistan faces a threat that certainly seems to be an existential threat,” he said, at a press conference at the US embassy in Paris. Petraeus described the common enemy as a “syndicate” uniting “some true al-Qaeda, some Taliban and in between different forms of extremist movements, which are very much contributing to the problem in Afghanistan.”

Petraeus said he had yet to be briefed on the incident in which the helicopters were fired upon, and refused to be drawn on the circumstances in which he would order a cross-border operation.

Instead, he insisted that he would work in cooperation with the Pakistani military, which he said faced the same threat. “I think the only real answer that I can give you at a forum like this is just to say that there has to be coordination, cooperation and very constructive dialogue as that effort goes forward,” he said.

“As was shown tragically and horrifically in the Marriott Hotel bombing, these same extremist elements again represent a true existential threat to Pakistan itself,” he said, referring to an attack on Saturday in Islamabad.

Petraeus says a “comprehensive approach” is needed to quell the war in Afghanistan.He says that includes reconciliation within the population and “absolute engagement” with neighbouring Pakistan.

He told reporters during a visit Thursday to Paris that Afghanistan represents vast challenges not seen in Iraq.Petraeus says an entire infrastructure is needed to support a significant increase in troops in Afghanistan as Nato wants. He says forces must be seen as liberators, not occupiers, to overcome al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Pakistani security forces on Thursday afternoon fired at US gunship helicopters after they flew over Spinkhwara village near Saidgai in North Waziristan Agency (NWA). The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) also confirmed the firing at the US choppers.

A spokesman for the ISPR told The News that two US helicopters intruded into the Pakistani territory at around 3:30 pm from Afghanistan’s Khost province in the Saidgai area near Gulam Khan in the NWA.

“When the two helicopters passed over our border post and were well within the Pakistani territory, the security forces deployed at the border fired warning shots,” the spokesman explained, adding the shots forced the helicopters to flee to Afghanistan. However, he said the choppers while retreating fired back on the security forces.

The official said the matter had been reported to the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) headquarters. He said the issue was being resolved through coordination and communication channel between the Pakistan Army and the ISAF.

Military and tribal sources told The News from the border town of Saidgai that two US choppers were seen flying over border villages for some time after crossing into the Pakistani territory on Thursday afternoon.

“Our troops fired at the choppers and forced them to fly back to Afghanistan,” said Ziarat Khan, a resident of Saidgai village along the border with Afghanistan. He also said the fleeing US gunship helicopters fired back at the Pakistani security forces but there were no details of losses to the troops.

Pakistani troops did not want to shoot down the choppers “which they could have done easily”, Ziarat noted.The sources said the US choppers were flying towards Miramshah, 16 kilometres off the border.

Also, military sources told The News that Pakistani security forces later fired at both the US choppers when they again flew over Pakistani border village Gorveek in the NWA. The sources said the choppers were forced to return to Afghanistan but later an armoured personnel carrier (APC) came to the border and fired at Pakistani posts. “They fired with heavy and light weapons on our troops but right now I have no knowledge of any losses,” said a military official based in Miramshah, but desired not to be named.