Pakistan trims US military mission

ISLAMABAD�? Pakistan's government has told the United States to halve the number of military trainers it has stationed in the country, the latest sign of spiraling distrust between the two allies since the killing of Osama bin Laden.

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The killing of bin Laden by U.S. special forces in a Pakistani town on May 2 has sparked a wave of militant attacks and 24 people were killed in the latest suspected suicide bombing in a northwestern town on Thursday, police said.

Pakistan informed the United States in the last week or two that it would not need some U.S. special forces trainers advising the Pakistani military, the Pentagon said. Pakistani security officials said the decision came three days after the al-Qaida leader's death.

"We don't need unnecessary people here. They cause problems for us instead of being helpful," said a Pakistani security official who declined to be identified. He said the withdrawal might start by early June.

Another Pakistani security official said the decision was made because of concerns over the Americans' security and because "resentment all around was very high."

Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said there had been "no real change" to the small U.S. military training mission in Pakistan, where a team of U.S. Navy SEALs launched the top-secret raid that killed the al-Qaida leader.

Slideshow: Pakistan: A nation in turmoil (on this page)

The number of trainers in Pakistan was not disclosed but Lapan said the entire military mission has ranged between 200 and 300 people.

Other Pakistani and U.S. military sources in Pakistan have said the special forces training component formerly numbered about 120 and would be drawn down to less than 50.

Other U.S. troops are involved in helicopter maintenance, liaising with the Pakistani military and aid efforts. It is unclear if they will also be withdrawn.

"Essential people are being asked to stay," the second security official said. "This includes SSG (special forces) and technical assistance."

Fragile relationship
The raid that killed bin Laden at his compound in Abbottabad, 30 miles northwest of Islamabad, intensified U.S. questions about Pakistan's possible role in sheltering militants, straining an already fragile relationship.

Many Pakistanis see the raid as a violation of its sovereignty and some members of parliament have asked for a review of ties with Washington, which gives Pakistan billions of dollars in aid to help in the war against Islamist militants.

While hinting that Pakistan could do more in its counter-terrorism efforts, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also praised its strategic ally as a "good partner."

"We do have a set of expectations that we are looking for the Pakistani government to meet, but I want to underscore in conclusion it is not as though they have been on the sidelines," Clinton told a news conference in Paris. She gave no details.

"They have been actively engaged in their own bitter fight ... and we are going to look to put our partnership on as strong a foundation going forward as possible," she said.

Distrust grows
As the United States starts to withdraw troops from Afghanistan this year and some U.S. lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to reconsider assistance to Pakistan in the wake of the bin Laden raid.

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U.S. aid has also led to quarrels between Pakistan's civilian government and its armed forces over how U.S. military funds were spent, according to Wikileaks, highlighting the turf battles and lack of transparency over billions of dollars.

U.S. diplomatic cables in 2009, published by Dawn newspaper, showed then Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin asked the U.S. embassy to keep him informed of American aid given directly to the Pakistani military, saying the "Army Chief of Staff General Kayani does not pass on this information".

At the same time, some Pakistan government officials feared money from a special reimbursement fund was being "siphoned off into private coffers." Washington, too, was concerned military funds were being diverted by the civilian government for social programs, cables said.

"The temptation for the new coalition government to tap CSF (coalition support fund) for non-military purposes will be high," one U.S. diplomatic cable from 2008 said.

The support fund was set up by U.S. Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to reimburse allies for costs in supporting the U.S.-led war on militancy. Pakistan has received $8.8 billion from this fund since the attacks.

Many critics wonder if these funds and others are misspent to beef up Pakistan's military capabilities against India, or possibly bolstering its nuclear weapons program.

Avenging bin Laden's death
Pakistan has received $20.7 billion worth of U.S. assistance over the past decade, about two-thirds of it military aid intended to bolster the army's capabilities against militants.

The Pakistani Taliban, and its allies al-Qaida, have stepped up their attacks since bin Laden's killing, targeting police and military installations, including a brazen assault this week on a key naval air base in Karachi.

In the latest attack, a suicide bomber in a double-cabin pickup truck truck detonated his explosives near several government offices Thursday in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 24 people and wounding 56 others.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Hangu city. But the Pakistani Taliban have taken credit for other recent strikes, saying they are part of the campaign to avenge bin Laden's death.

Hangu is a rough area located just outside Pakistan's lawless tribal regions bordering Afghanistan. The tribal areas have long been havens for al-Qaida and other militants.

Local police official Irshad Khan said the bomb went off near several government buildings, including the district commissioner's office. Those buildings for the most part escaped the blast, he said, but numerous shops and other facilities nearby were damaged.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43180818/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

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