In Protest Over NATO Strike, Pakistan Will Skip Afghan Conference

[alp227]

Source: NYT

Pakistan announced Tuesday that it would not attend an important international conference on Afghanistan’s security and development that is scheduled to begin in less than a week in protest over the weekend strikes that killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers.

Also on Tuesday, the Pakistani military also offered its first detailed account of the weekend episode, which widely differed with NATO and Afghan diplomat accounts. The army ruled out United States assertions that the strikes were accidental, and instead termed them as “an unprovoked attack of blatant aggression.”

The decision to boycott the conference, which is scheduled to take place in Bonn, Germany, starting Monday, was announced after a special meeting of the Pakistani cabinet was held in the eastern city of Lahore. “Pakistan looks forward to the success of this conference but in view of the developments and prevailing circumstances has decided not to participate in the conference,” read a government statement.

Afghan officials had been urging Pakistan to attend the conference. More than 50 countries are sending representatives as part of an effort to showcase the international commitment to Afghanistan’s security and to reassure Afghans and potential foreign investors about the nation’s future.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/world/asia/in-protest-over-nato-strike-pakistan-will-skip-afghan-conference-to-protest.html?pagewanted=all

[kenny blankenship]

1. Oh, we're making all kinds of progress over there!

At this rate, by 2016 we'll probably have even the Poles and Italians flying planes into our buildings.