To put pressure on Pakistan, Admiral Mullen, in a written assessment to Congress last month said he believed the next terrorist attack on the United States would probably be started by Qaeda terrorists operating from the Pakistani tribal areas.
Eleven Fresh US demands
Now more than six years later, the US has handed over another ‘wish-list’ to Pakistan. US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen's two recent visits to Pakistan were reportedly linked to the following 11 American demands for the US military and auxiliary personnel to be deployed in Pakistan under new plan:
1-The US military and auxiliary personnels should be granted a status that is accorded to the technical and administrative staff of the US embassy in Islamabad. Meaning diplomatic immunity.
2-These personnel be allowed to enter and exit Pakistan on mere National Identification (for example a driving license) that is without any visas.
3-Pakistan should accept the legality of all US licenses, including the arms licenses.4-All these personnel should be allowed to carry arms and wear uniforms as they wish, across the whole of Pakistan.
5-The US criminal jurisdiction be applicable in Pakistan to US nationals. In other words, these personnel would not be subject to Pakistani laws.
6-They should be exempted from all taxes, including indirect taxes like excise duty, etc.7-They should be allowed inspection-free import and export of all goods and materials.
8-Allow free movement of vehicles, vessels including aircraft, without landing or parking fees.
9-Selected US contractors should also be exempted from tax payments.
10-Free of cost use of telecommunication systems and using all necessary radio spectrum.11-A waiver of all claims to damage to loss or destruction of others’ property, or death to personnel or armed forces or civilians.
The Seven Demands of September 2001 were nothing compared with the 11 new demands given to Pakistan’s Defense Ministry this time. What does they mean? Two of the demands are especially galling. The first is that the personnel posted in Pakistan be exempt from Pakistan's laws and instead be covered by the US criminal system. Tied to this is a demand for waiver from any claim to damages for loss of property or death caused by US personnel. This implies that the US troops would not be asked to account for killing Pakistani citizens, whether military or civilian, or destroying their homes, villages or fields. It is not a license to kill in a way?
