The US military is looking at options for a unilateral strike in Pakistan if a successful terrorist strike on US soil is traced back to that country, senior Pentagon officials were quoted as saying Saturday.
Plans for a unilateral strike were developed after ties between Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad and elements of the Pakistani Taliban were established, the Washington Post reported. “Planning has been reinvigorated in the wake of the Times Square (incident),” the paper said quoting officials.
But US retaliation, officials said, will be contemplated only under extreme circumstances, such as a catastrophic attack that leaves President Barack Obama convinced that the ongoing campaign of CIA drone strikes is insufficient. Military bombing would focus on air and missile strikes but the US could also use small teams of special forces currently deployed along the Pak border.
“One of the senior military officials said plans for military strikes in Pakistan have been revised significantly over the past several years, moving away from a ‘large, punitive response’ to more measured plans meant to deliver retaliatory blows against specific militant groups,” the American daily said. —PTI