Pakistan Demands End to CIA Drone Strikes

US told to cut CIA, Special Forces personnel in Pakistan
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 12, 2011 1:21 AM CDT
Pakistan Orders End to CIA Drone Strikes
Activists of the Pakistani political party Tehreek-i-Insaaf shout slogans during a protest rally against the release of CIA contractor Raymond Davis.   (Getty Images)

The US-Pakistan alliance forged in the wake of the September 11 attacks appears to be on the verge of collapsing. Pakistan has demanded that the US halt its drone attacks on suspected militants, and sharply reduce the number of CIA and Special Forces personnel in the country, reports the New York Times. The demand is part of the fallout from the arrest of a CIA contractor who killed two Pakistani men earlier this year, according to US and Pakistani officials.

Officials on both sides say intelligence ties are at their most frayed in a decade, the Wall Street Journal reports. The reduction in CIA and Special Forces staff was personally demanded by the chief of the Pakistani army. American officials sought to downplay tensions, saying that the Pakistanis are mainly seeking more information about US covert operations. The US "expects to continue its aggressive counter-terrorism operations in Pakistan. It would be unfortunate if the Pakistanis somehow stepped back from counter-terrorism efforts that protect Americans and their citizens alike," an American official said. (More Pakistan stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X