WTF? keystone cops...
Wednesday September 03, 2003
BRUSSELS: Civil and military authorities in Pakistan have
decided to provide additional military and security
personnel to Saudi Arabia to fill the gap created by the
withdrawal of the US and other Western troops from the
Kingdom, reliable defence sources told The News.
Saudi Arabia has already given a pledge to Pakistani
authorities it would welcome additional Pakistani military
and security advisers and troops primarily to replace the
Western military personnel who have left the kingdom over
the last year.
Pakistani military personnel in Saudi Arabia would play an
effective role in several projects designed to bolster the
defence and security of the kingdom. "Pakistani military
and security personnel sent to Saudi Arabia would play
two-pronged security related role: first, to replace some
of the westerners who have left or leaving the kingdom and
secondly, to help in the expansion of the security related
projects already being executed by Pakistani personnel in
Saudi Arabia," the defence source underlined.
The defence sources indicated that the need of Pakistan
military and security personnel in Saudi Arabia would
increase enormously in the days to come as the
acceptability of the American troops in the Kingdom is
affected by the recent cleavage in the US-Saudi relations
created by a 28 pages of the joint congressional report on
the events leading up to the terror attacks on September
11, 2001, which American refuse to declassify despite
repeated requests by Saudi Arabia.
The changed circumstances have provided yet another
opportunity to further bolster the defence and security
relations in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has
already conveyed to the government of Pakistan its decision
to get more Pakistani military and security advisers and
personnel, the defence source indicated.
The report on new enthusiasm in Pak-Saudi defence and
security relations has perplexed none in the West as
Western governments are aware of the fact that Pakistan is
a leading ally of Saudi Arabia. Pakistani armed forces are
regarded as the most reliable source always available to
bolster the defence and security of Saudi Arabia and the
Gulf region.
Citing the role played by the Pakistani armed forces in
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, the defence source said, Saudi
Arabia, UAE, Libya, Jordan and other countries had been
inviting Pakistani military missions to reorganize and
train their defence forces. In the Gulf War of 1991,
Pakistani ground forces played their role in Saudi Arabia’s
defence, and thereafter in prolonged mine clearing
operations in Kuwait. Pakistani fighter pilots took part in
aerial combat over Syria against Israeli pilots, the
defence source recalled.
"The initiative to further strengthen Pakistan-Saudi
military relations by sending more Pakistani military and
security personnel is suited to both the countries as
Pakistan helps in operating aircraft and navel vessels in
Saudi Arabia, besides training military and security
personnel in the Kingdom", a defence report opined.
Additional Pak forces in Saudi Arabia, besides other
operations, would put in action the expansion plan of the
existing light weapons and ammunition production venture in
the Kingdom by including the project to produce mortar and
heavy munitions, the defence source said.
jang.com.pk
Èñòî÷íèê: Zia Iqbal Shahid The News International,
Pakistan
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