Context
As the Bonn Conference gets underway, a peculiar situation is developing in the aftermath of the NATO attack on Pakistan’s check post in Mohmand Agency, on November 26th. Pakistan has protested strongly claiming it was ‘unprovoked’ and ‘deliberate’ attack resulting in the death of About 24 Pakistani troops. Subsequently, Pakistan blocked NATO’s Afghan supply line, gave a 15 day notice to the Americans for vacating the Shamsi airbase, and boycotted the Bonn conference.
Analysis
Although US and NATO passed condolences and sincere regrets, they did not apologize. Meanwhile, Pakistan refused today to take part in the joint NATO investigation of the incident. Now a more serious escalation is taking shape that cannot be simply discounted as rhetoric.
