Kerry says Pakistan, Afghanistan "notified" of U.S. airstrike on Taliban leader

Record ID: 102324

  • Title: Kerry says Pakistan, Afghanistan "notified" of U.S. airstrike on Taliban leader
  • Date: 23rd May 2016
  • Summary: NAYPYITAW, MYANMAR (MAY 22, 2016) (AGENCY POOL) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY AND MYANMAR FOREIGN MINISTER AUNG SAN SUU KYI WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM KERRY AND SUU KYI STANDING AT PODIUM KERRY STANDING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY, SAYING: "We have had longstanding conversations with Pakistan and Afghanistan about this objective with respect to Mullah Mansour, and both countries' leaders were notified of the air strike. I'm not going to get into further details about the timing, the tick-tocks. I will say to you that this morning, I know that General Nicholson talked directly to General Raheel Sharif and I talked directly to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. And it is important for people to understand that Mullah Mansour, as I said a moment ago, has been actively involved in planning attacks in Kabul, across Afghanistan, presenting a threat to Afghan civilians and to the coalition forces that are there." PEOPLE SITTING AT NEWS CONFERENCE KERRY AND SUU KYI LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2016 02:28
  • Keywords: John Kerry Pakistan Afghanistan Taliban Mullah Akhtar Mansour air strike
  • Location: NAYPYITAW, MYANMAR
  • City: NAYPYITAW, MYANMAR
  • Country: Myanmar
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014J124HZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday (May 22) that leaders of both Pakistan and Afghanistan were "notified" of the air strike targeting Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour.
    Kerry declined to elaborate on the timing of the notifications, which he said included a telephone call from him to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
    U.S. officials in Washington said on Saturday (May 21) U.S. missile-firing drones had attacked Mansour and probably killed him in a strike in southwest Pakistan, near the Afghan border, authorised by U.S. President Barack Obama.
    Kerry did not confirm whether the strike had killed Mansour. A Pentagon spokesman said earlier the results of the strike were being assessed.
    The Taliban have made no official statement but two commanders close to Mansour denied he was dead.
    Kerry made the comments during a brief visit to Myanmar where he lauded the Southeast Asian nation's transition to democracy but pressed its new civilian leaders for further reforms.
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