Bush raids Pakistan. Who is surprised?
President Bush authorized U.S. special forces to conduct ground assaults inside Pakistan without seeking Islamabad’s permission first, a senior American intelligence official said Thursday.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said better U.S.-Pakistan cooperation is needed to fight terror.Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said better U.S.-Pakistan cooperation is needed to fight terror.
“We have had the president’s OK for months,” said the official, who declined to be identified because the order is classified. “It is my understanding that the Pakistanis are well-aware of the change.”
The official would not elaborate on the exact nature of the order.
The official says Pakistan’s leaders will be notified during an assault or after the fact, depending on the situation but “most definitely after a decision has been made and things set in motion.”
National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe declined to comment on the report.
Thursday’s report comes after a statement from Pakistan’s armed forces chief on Wednesday that no foreign forces will be allowed to operate inside Pakistan.
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