Could this incident cause a serious riff between Pakistan and NATO?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.guardian.c...-pakistan-kills-eight

At the moment NATO are being blamed, but could it have been the USA who are responsible, and if so why do you think they carried out this killing of dozens of Pakistani troops?

[rov1100]

They haven't had much sucess in fighting the Taliban and to return to base with a full load of ammunitions doesn't do the morale much good.

[rojash]

A serious riff? What, like the intro to Day Tripper? Or maybe Smoke on the Water?

[B00]

hehe at riff, think you mean rift AOG :-)

[ChuckFickens]

LOL :)

[boxtops]

That's what I thought too, long live Clapton :-)

[ChuckFickens]

Got to be better than war I guess, Pakistan and NATO have a jamming session to settle their differences :)

[anotheoldgit]

Incredible, one asks a serious question and all some can do is to criticise one for making a typing error.

I wonder how many times that has happened before?

[rojash]

It's Saturday AOG, lighten up :-)

[MarkRae]

<sniff> I'm filling up...

[anotheoldgit]

rojash

Do you mean to say, "There's no school today"?

[atrollope]

AOG..The people just love your"comedy moments"!

[in a mo]

anotheoldgit It is alright for you, some one sent me a "Git" for my birthday.

Is you name anotheroldgit or as printed,

[argorstran]

It's a serious question and it deserves a serious answer . It could cause major problems if local Pakistani army commanders , thinking that they are about to be attacked on their own territory , open fire in self defence (which they would be fully entitled to do ). On a wider scale if Pakistan were to order the US military to leave its country then the operation against Afghanistan could not continue .

[anotheoldgit]

Thanks for that argorstran, you have highlighted exactly how serious it is.

[B00]

Awww AOG, only pulling your leg, no malice intended xx

We forgiven? <grins winsomely>

[rojash]

"It's a serious question and it deserves a serious answer ."
OK here comes a serious answer:
Of course it will cause (or rather, widen) a rift - do you imagine that Pakistan is going to just shrug off the cavalier slaughter of its citizens?

"At the moment NATO are being blamed, but could it have been the USA who are responsible" Same thing other countries may supply troops to NATO, but to all intents and purposes it's just an extension of the US Army.

"why do you think they carried out this killing of dozens of Pakistani troops?"
Gung-ho cowboys, they don't consider deaths of foreigners to particularly important in the great scheme.

[anotheoldgit]

rojash

"A serious question deserves a serious answer."

Then you spoil it all by adding your last paragraph.

Do you seriously think that the US would send out a helicopter, just to mow down innocent troops for no reason whatsoever.

These troops where manning a check-point not mingling with a load of the Taliban.

[sandyRoe]

The Americans seem at ease with friendly fire incidents as long as they're the ones doing the firing.
I can't see how the relationship between Pakistan and the West could get much worse.

[emmie]

The Americans can be a bit gung ho, so no surprise there, they have killed British forces too, and what can one do, in the heat of battle people get killed, and not always the enemy.

[andy-hughes]

I've tried a little gentle teasing with AOG before people - it doesn't work, trust me.