September 16, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 15, 1429

WASHINGTON, Sept 15: Pakistan had blocked supplies to US and Nato forces in Afghanistan after the Sept 3 raid by US ground forces at a suspected militant target near Angor Adda, the US media reported on Monday.

The report by a veteran Arnaud de Borchgrave, who was also awarded Nishan-i-Imtiaz by the Zia regime for his reporting of the Afghan war, said that this was “Pakistan’s retaliatory action” for the raid that killed 20 people, including women and children.

For almost nine years, the United States has been using a 1,200-mile route from Karachi to the Khyber Pass to supply its troops in Afghanistan.

According to the report, Pakistan is paid $1 million a day for these supplies that include oil, food, heavy equipment and medicines.

Pakistan made it clear there would be no more Predator bombings or Special Forces raids into Fata unless done with Islamabad’s permission.

The report claimed that Washington’s reluctance to reimburse dues also contri-

buted to Islamabad’s decision and the US paid $365 million before the supplies resumed.

Mr Borchgrave claimed that before the US launched the September 3 raid, Pakistan’s new government had assured the White House that its “consent would be forthcoming — with a wink and a nod” from the country’s new rulers who had the same powers as former President Pervez Musharraf.

The report claims that the militants also have exploited Washington’s eagerness to kill al-Qaeda leaders to make it target civilian areas that lead to large civilian casualties.

“Some US intelligence analysts began to suspect that Taliban deliberately shows US spies-in-the-sky what could be interpreted as a busy guerrilla venue in Fata, and then makes sure there are lots of women and children at the site when the bomb drops,” Mr Borchgrave wrote.

“In World War II, German submarines in the Atlantic, cornered by sonar and depth charges, would release tattered uniforms and detritus to make it seem the U-Boat had sunk.”

Mr Borchgrave said that Pakistan’s decision to order a ceasefire during Ramazan also contributed to the US decision to launch the Sept 3 raid.

The United States believed that the ceasefire “would have given Taliban time to regroup and plan their next operations with impunity.”