No US charges planned over NATO strike in Pak

A US investigation in December found fault with both American and Pakistani troops for the deadly exchange of fire,but noted that the Pakistanis fired first from two border posts that were not on coalition maps,and that they kept firing even after the Americans tried to warn them that they were shooting at allied troops. Pakistan has rejected these conclusions and ascribed most of the blame to the American forces.

The American findings set up a second inquiry to determine whether any American military personnel should be punished. That recently completed review said no,three senior military officials said,explaining that the Americans fired in self-defence. Other mistakes that contributed to the fatal cross-border strike were the regrettable result of battlefield confusion,they said.

We found nothing criminally negligent on the part of any individual in our investigations of the incident, said one senior US military official involved in the process,who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The militarys decision is expected to anger Pakistani officials at a time when the two countries are gingerly trying to patch up a security relationship left in tatters over the past year from a series of episodes.

Pakistans Parliament is scheduled to resume debate on Monday on a major review of relations with the US,a debate that the Obama administration hopes will bring a resumption of full diplomatic relations. As part of that debate,Pakistani legislators have demanded an unconditional formal apology from the US for the fatal airstrike.

In the highest-level parley of leaders of the two countries since the accident,President Obama is to meet with Pakistans prime minister,Yousaf Raza Gilani,on Tuesday in Seoul,after a nuclear security conference,to discuss Afghanistan and other issues. But Obama is not expected to go beyond regrets he conveyed to Pakistan soon after the airstrike.

Will attack lawmakers if NATO routes reopen
Miranshah: The Pakistan Taliban will attack lawmakers if they decide to re-open NATO supply routes to Afghanistan,the militant groups spokesman said on Sunday. If the parliament decides to restore NATO supplies,we will attack parliamentarians, Ehsanullah Ehsan,spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said. We will start attacking all the parliamentarians and their families for this shameful and unacceptable act he said. Ehsan also said militants would publicly slaughter drivers ferrying NATO supplies.

Reuters