Remembering Salala Massacre

By Tariq Rizwan

November 26, 2011 is remembered as the worst day in Pak-US relations when US led NATO forces engaged Pakistani security forces at two Pakistani military check posts along Pak Afghan border. In the early hours, two NATO Apache helicopters, an AC-130 gunship and two F-15E Eagle fighter jets entered about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) inside Pakistan’s territory known as Salala in Mohmand Agency, FATA  from Afghanistan and opened fire at two border patrol check-posts, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers including two officers, Major Mujahid Mirani and Capt Usman and injuring 13 other soldiers. Both sides claimed they were attacked first. US and Afghans cited Taliban cross border movement as possible contributing factor to the incident.

The two check-posts codenamed "Boulder" and "Volcano" were separated by Salala mountain top by a distance of one kilometer. According to the Director General Military Operations (DGMO), the attack was a coordinated NATO strike where an MC-12W Liberty turbo-propeller aircraft was used for an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance role

Pakistani authorities tried to contact their NATO counterparts in an effort to inform them of the situation but the Pakistani request failed to reach the attacking force. The helicopters returned a second time engaging Boulder border post again. A short while later communication with the NATO commanders was established and the attack was called off. All casualties were from the initial attack on the Volcano border post. Later, Major General Abbas expressed that it was beyond comprehension why the NATO forces returned to attack the second time.

Pakistani army soldiers on ground did fire back with firearm rounds but that's not considered a proper response to the attack. Pakistan Army couldn't pursue the helicopters into Afghanistan or deploy the Air force and attack NATO helicopters. It's remained a mystery about what happened.  Pakistan army does share maps with NATO of its check posts and deployment for security on the border. Yet NATO says Taliban firing was coming from the vicinity, so it's difficult to determine the truth.

The incident provoked widespread protests across Pakistan. Public reacted angrily, launched widespread protests across the country and demanded the closure of US-NATO supply routes passing through Pakistan’s territory.  It severed bilateral relations between Pakistan and US. Pakistan termed it irresponsible, unprovoked, indiscriminate firing, a stark violation of its sovereignty and took measures adversely affecting the US exit strategy from Afghanistan including the evacuation of Shamsi Airfield and closure of the NATO supply line. Pakistan Army also termed the attack as intentional, pre-planned and premeditated.

Indeed, US and Afghan authorities claimed that their troops were conducting an operation against the Afghan Taliban in Afghan Eastern Province of Kunar, when they came under fire from the Pakistani border posts. Afghan soldiers requested for support which was honored accordingly and it was a defensive act. A US official in Kabul also pointed to an incident in September 2010, when a NATO helicopter fired on a Pakistan outpost, killing two soldiers. "It was a situation where insurgent forces butted right up against a Pakistani border post and used that as a firing position. When we fired back, we hit Pakistani security forces. Military officials in Kabul claimed insurgents in Pakistan have also used empty Pakistan border bases to stage attacks, which they say may have been the working assumption of the coalition forces who called in the airstrike when they drew fire.

The situation deteriorated with the passage of time and US-NATO forces in Afghanistan were suffering due to cutting off supplies. However, on 3 July 2012, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton officially apologized for the losses suffered which led to the opening of NATO supply routes. After US acknowledgement, Pakistan reopened the vital Nato supply routes into Afghanistan closed since the deadly attack. Federal Minister for Communication Qamar Zaman Kaira, reading out a formal decision of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet announced that the Ground Lines of Communications (GLOCs) were being reopened. However, added that no lethal NATO cargo will be allowed, except for that which is meant for Afghan security forces. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also welcomed the move, saying the resumption of transit arrangements for ISAF supplies through Pakistan demonstrates strengthened cooperation between ISAF nations and Pakistan.

The incident prompted Pakistan to conduct a policy review of its ties with the US, demanding that the US issue a high-level apology over the incident, and end drone strikes before the routes would be reopened. The US, on numerous occasions expressed regret over the incident, but did not offer a clear apology as demanded by Pakistan. ISAF Commander General Allen had also offered a “personal apology” to Pakistan army chief. The United States released about $1.1 billion to Pakistan’s military as part of a deal.

Backed by massive protests in the country, Pakistan’s reaction involved some blunt initiatives such as evacuation of Shamsi base in Baluchistan which was given to the NATO forces in order to conduct operations against Afghan militants, temporary elimination of drone attacks in Pakistan territory, boycott of Bonn conference on 5^th December 2011 which was organized on Afghanistan issue, refusal to take part in Afghan exit strategy, settlement of border issues with Afghanistan. All these efforts were done by the government to demonstrate its protest against US government. Many negotiations were made after that to bring things on the track because both the countries needed each other’s assistance in order to carve out better arrangements.

To sum up, finally on 3^rd July 2012 when US State Secretary officially apologized with its first non-NATO ally, the supply routes were reopened and a kind of consensus was developed between the two sides. It can be claimed that the incident derailed Pak US relations for the time being albeit after seeing the pros and cons of one’s self a confluence was brought. Besides causing a colossal blow to the bilateral relations, the incident exposed the intentions and mind set of US. Pakistan was able to have a fresh look on its foreign policy with special focus on its bilateral relation with US & West.

The writer is a free lance journalist, based in London