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Official confirms targeted killings in Pakistan by US forces

By Khalid Hasan

Washington: The cooperation between Pakistani and American governments in operations against Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in Pak-Afghan border areas appears to be close enough to involve targeted killings in Pakistani territory.

There are also clear indications that the interrogation of terrorists or terrorism suspects held by Pakistan is undertaken by the two sides jointly. While Pakistani government spokesmen have been issuing flat denials of such reports, US responses tend to leave the matter open.

Daily Times has now obtained the transcript of an interview given to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer by US national security adviser Stephen Hadley, a careful reading of which conveys the distinct impression that US operations over Pakistani territory have taken place and, further, that suspects held by Pakistan are being jointly interrogated by US and Pakistan.

Here are the relevant excerpts from the Blitzer interview broadcast on 15 May: (Blitzer asks if the US would assassinate Zarqawi if he were located) “because as you know the widespread reports over the past couple of days, that a Hellfire missile from a drone went ahead and killed a top Al Qaeda operative in Pakistan.”

Hadley: I can’t really comment on those reports. We’re obviously working very closely with the Pakistani government. The Pakistani government has been very active in dealing with Al Qaeda and Taliban elements, particularly in the northwest area of the country. They have – they have wrapped up a number of Al Qaeda operatives here recently. They are doing a great job. We will obviously want to cooperate with them. But remember ...

Blitzer: Do you have authority from the Pakistani government to fly those drones over Pakistan and fire a Hellfire missile into a terrorist target?

Hadley: Look, thse are – relationships we have are very sensitive. They are a matter of domestic politics to these countries, and it would not help our effort against terror to be talking about them publicly, about these relationships. But remember, we are in a war situation, and Zarqawi is an element declaring war, really, on the new Iraqi government, and on Americans and the members of the coalition. His organisation’s responsible for large numbers of deaths of innocent civilians in Iraq. This is a wartime situation, and obviously if we can take action to bring him into custody or take him out of commission, we will do that.

Blitzer: So the President has signed documents authorising these kinds of killings of terrorist targets?

Hadley: We are in a wartime situation, and our military forces are taking action against the enemy. Of course.

Blitzer: Has the Pakistani government given the US access to the number three Al Qaeda operative, Abu Faraj Al-Libbi, who was captured a few days ago?

Hadley: We are working very closely with the Pakistani officials in the interrogation of him, and I think I’ll need to leave it at that at this point, but we think that he may have very useful information, and we are working very closely with the Pakistanis, who obviously have in interest in him. This is a man who tried to kill President Musharraf. And so we both have an interest in making sure that any information that he has available that can advance our cause against terrorists is obtained and used.

Blitzer: So they are letting US officials participate in the interrogation?

Hadly: We have good cooperation, let me just leave it at that. We have good cooperation with them at this point.

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