Rawalpindi : The Pakistan Army has “categorically denied” the
presence of US troops in North and South Waziristan, as reported in diplomatic
cables recently unveiled by whistle-blower website WikiLeaks.
The cables, published by the Dawn, said that US special operations forces
were embedded with Pakistani troops for intelligence gathering by the summer of
2009, and deployed with them on joint operations in Pakistani territory by
September that year.
According to the secret documents, joint operations on the ground were also
in the pipeline. One previously unpublished cable described how a deployment
with US forces in Pakistani territory was planned for April 2009 before being
called off at the last minute.
“Previously, the Pakistani military leadership adamantly opposed letting us
embed our special operations personnel with their military forces. The recent
approval by GHQ – almost certainly with the personal consent of Chief of Army
Staff General Kayani… appears to represent a sea change in Pakistani thinking,”
noted an October 2009 cable.
“These deployments are highly politically sensitive … Should [they] receive
any coverage in the Pakistani or US media, the Pakistani military will likely
stop making requests for such assistance,” the cable added.
However, the Inter Services Public Relations issued a statement, vehemently
denying the claims made in the US cables.
“A spokesman of ISPR has categorically denied the presence of US troops in
North and South Waziristan Agencies as reported in the WikiLeaks. No US troops
are involved in any military operations in FATA,” the statement said. (ANI)
