Thousands denounce US in Pakistan protests

Pakistan’s army spokesman today said the military used intelligence provided by US-led coalition forces in an air raid that left 80 people dead, while thousands of pro-Taliban tribesmen threatened to send suicide bombers to attack Pakistan forces and execute people found spying for the Americans.

Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the chief army spokesman, said American forces did not take part in yesterday’s attack on a madrasa religious school that the military said was a front for an al-Qaida training camp.

However, he said intelligence was provided in line with long-standing co-operation with coalition forces in Afghanistan to battle terrorists operating along the porous border between the South Asian countries.

“Intelligence sharing was definitely there, but to say they (the coalition) have carried out the operation, that is absolutely wrong,” Sultan said. “One doesn’t know … what was the percentage of help (was provided).”

In Kabul, Col Tom Collins, a US military spokesman, said it was common knowledge that the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan shared intelligence as part of a three-way military agreement but he said he had no information regarding the recent operation in Pakistan.

Another US spokesman, Lt Col Paul Fitzpatrick, said no US equipment, aircraft or forces were involved in the operation, but he declined to say whether any other American assistance was provided.

“Pakistan is a US ally in the war on terror and the United States does routinely share intelligence with its allies,” he said. “However, I cannot comment on any particular operation.”

Meanwhile, up to 20,000 people protested today in Khar, the main town in Pakistan’s north-western tribal Bajur district, claiming innocent students and teachers were killed in the attack. They chanted,” “Death to Bush! Death to Musharraf!”

In a fiery speech, local pro-Taliban elder Inayatur Rahman said he has prepared a “squad of suicide bombers” to target Pakistani security forces in the same way that militants were attacking Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“We will carry out these suicide attacks soon,” he said, asking the crowd if they approved the idea. The angry mob yelled back in unison, “Yes!”

The rally also adopted a verbal resolution to stone to death anyone found spying for the Pakistan army or US government. Protesters demanded compensation for the families of those killed.

Islamic leaders had called for nationwide protests Tuesday to denounce the air raid in Chingai village, about 6 miles from Khar near the Afghan border. It was the deadliest-ever military operation launched against suspected militants in the country.

Pakistan said its helicopters fired five missiles into the madrasa, flattening the building and killing 80 people inside. Three men survived with serious injuries.

The attack threatened efforts by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to persuade deeply conservative tribespeople to back his government over pro-Taliban and al-Qaida fighters, who enjoy strong support in many semi-autonomous regions in northern Pakistan.

The attack also sparked claims of US collusion with Pakistan, with villagers saying fixed-wing drone aircraft were seen flying over the town in the days before the attack, according to the Dawn daily newspaper.

In January, a US Predator drone fired a missile targeting al-Qaida number two Ayman-Al-Zawahri in Damadola, near Chingai. The strike missed al-Zawahri, but killed several other al-Qaida members and civilians and sparked massive anti-US protests across Pakistan.

Fears are high that the attack will fan unrest across Pakistan. In the north-western city of Peshawar, 500 members of a hard-line Islamic group burned an effigy of US president George Bush today and denounced Musharraf. A smaller protest was also held in the southern city of Multan.

The unrest caused Prince Charles, currently in Pakistan, to cancel his planned trip to Peshawar, located in the country’s north-west.

Many local politicians and regional Cabinet ministers resigned in protest over the attack. The planned signing of a peace deal between tribal leaders and the military was also cancelled yesterday in response to the airstrike.

Among those killed yesterday was Liaquat Hussain, a fugitive cleric and al-Zawahri associate who ran the targeted religious school, or madrasa. The raid was launched after Hussain rejected government warnings to stop using the school as a terrorist training camp, the military said.

Another al-Zawahri lieutenant, Faqir Mohammed, left the madrasa 30 minutes before the strike, according to a Bajur intelligence official.