Keranda Misteri di Hospital Quetta, mungkin mengandungi mayat askar pasukan khas Amerika Syarikat.

(Nine Mysterious coffins in Quetta hospital...)

ISLAMABAD: Okt 24 (PNS) Satu rahsia nampaknya masih menyelimuti bilik mayat hospital Quetta, Pakistan, kerana di sana ada terdapat enam keranda yang mencetuskan banyak tekateki.

Tidak siapa yang tahu apakah yang terbaring dalam setiap keranda itu. Namun, orang dalam ada menyebut bahwa keranda itu menyimpan mayat pasukan khas tentera Amerika yang terbunuh di Afghanistan.

Pentagon setakat ini memperakukan tiga orang warga tenteranya yang kemalangan. Seorang telah terbunuh dalam kemalangan 'forklift' di Teluk dan dua orang juruterbang mati ketika helikopternya terhempas malam kelmarin. Namun, Taliban telah mendakwa ramai anggota komando AS yang terbunuh.

Para pengamat berkata Pentagaon memang liat mengaku kematian sebenarnya kerana takutkan kemarahan rakyat Amerika. Ada seorang pakar berpendapat, AS enggan menerbangkan mayat itu pulang memandangkan keadaan reaksi negatif yang mungkin tercetus oleh tindakannya itu.

Setiausaha pertahanan, Donald Rumsfeld, mengaku semalam bahawa Taliban adalah lebih kental daripda yang disangka oleh pihak bersekutu. Dia memberitahu majallah mingguan 'US NEWS and WORLD REPORT': "Mereka memang satu kaum yang kental. Selama ini peperangan adalah kerjaya mereka dan mereka tidak mudah mengaku kalah."

Amiral Sir Michael Boyce, Ketua Pertahanan Britain, telah memberikan amaran dalam satau wawancara dengan New York Times betapa operasi serangan udara bersifat "serangan pantas" adalah tidak mencukupi.

Terjemahan: SPAR
30 Oktober 01.

Asal:

http://paknews.com/headingNews.php?id=11&date1=2001-10-24

Nine Mysterious coffins in Quetta hospital could belong to US Special Forces

ISLAMABAD Oct 24 (PNS): A thick security blanket shrouds the mortuary of a Quetta hospital, which according to some of the staffers houses nine mysterious coffins.

Little is known as to whose bodies are in the coffins. However, insiders believe these coffins contain the remains of members of United States Special Forces, killed in action in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon has so far confirmed only three casualties in its campaign in Afghanistan-one serviceman killed in a forklift accident in the Gulf and two pilots killed in a helicopter crash last night. However, the Taliban have claimed killing many more US commandos.

Analysts say the Pentagon is reluctant to concede the actual toll of the campaign fearing public backlash in the US.

One expert said it was possible that the US was reluctant to fly home body bags in view of the adverse reaction it was likely to attract.

Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary, admitted yesterday that the Taliban was a more formidable foe than the allies expected.

He told the weekly magazine US News and World Report: "These are very tough people. They've made careers out of fighting, and they're not going to roll over."

Adml Sir Michael Boyce, Britain's Chief of Defence Staff, gave warning in an interview with the New York Times that "quick pinprick" operations would not be enough.