US inquiry report on NATO attack likely on Dec 23

The American inquiry into NATO/ISAF attacks on Pakistani posts last month is most likely to complete on December 23 to decide future of Pakistan-US ties, currently, widening gulf between State Department and Pentagon/CIA.Sources privy to these developments here informed on Sunday that the State Department was waiting for the report in optimism to restore ties with Pakistan. According to the sources, the State Department still views Pakistan as an ally in war on terror that is essential for the favorable endgame in Afghanistan.The Department values Pakistan as an influential player in materializing talks with Taliban in Afghanistan, the sources. Besides, the Department has also underlined Pakistan’s territorial importance as the sole competitive supply route to US ventures in Afghanistan.“Therefore, the Department hopes to mend its ways wherever they went wrong to appease Pakistan as soon as the inquiry report completes,” the sources maintained. The American Presidential elections falling due in 2012 are said to be main reason behind these pro Pakistan arguments of the Department, the sources added. In teaching Pakistan a lesson at this point of time could cost Obama’s party the coming elections, the sources opinedOn the other hand, the sources pointed out, the military and intelligence apparatus in US known as Pentagon and CIA were not ready to accept the attack on November 26 as a mistake even if the American inquiry concludes so. “The Pentagon and CIA were all out to tighten noose around Pakistan irrespective of the inquiry conclusion,” the sources said. It appeared to the sources as if it was a cold war underway between the CIA and its Pakistani counterpart the ISI.According to the sources, Pakistani military establishment was also anxiously waiting for the American inquiry report and US’s accordingly movement in Washington-Islamabad currently soared ties. The sources claimed that the Pakistani army and ISI would also reset its parameters practical relationship with the civilian leadership.In addition to the sharp difference of opinion that exists within the American establishment, Pakistan’s civilian government and military leadership were also not on the same page over the nature of bilateral ties, the sources observed.