2011 NAIA Football National Championship, Game details, Championship Game, Third quarter
The third quarter started great for Carroll when Jared Mayernik returned the kickoff 64 yards for a touchdown. The extra point attempt was no good, but Carroll held the lead 20–17 for the first time in the game.


2011 NAIA Football National Championship, Game details, Championship Game, Third quarter
In the next possession at 11:45 on the clock, KJ Franklin carried the football 4 yards for a touchdown to take back the lead for Saint Xavier. Tom Lynch's third successful extra point made the score 24–20 for the final score of the game.


2011 NAIA Football National Championship, Game details, Championship Game, Fourth quarter
Carroll had one last chance to win the game in the fourth quarter. On their final possession, Carroll had four plays from inside the nine yard line in an attempt to score a touchdown. Four dropped passes later, Saint Xavier took over on downs and ran out the clock for the win.


2011 NAIA Football National Championship, Game details, Championship Game, Fourth quarter
Both teams scored three touchdowns. Saint Xavier managed 355 yards of total offense with 23 first downs and held Carroll to 286 with 18 first downs. Neither team gave up a fumble or threw an interception.


2011 NAIA football rankings
One human poll made up the 2011 NAIA football rankings, sometimes called the NAIA Coaches' Poll or the football ratings. Once the regular season was complete, the NAIA sponsored a 16-team playoff to determine the year's national champion. A final poll was then taken after completion of the 2011 NAIA Football National Championship.


2011 NAIA football rankings, Leading Vote-Getters
Since the inception of the Coaches' Poll in 1999, the #1 ranking in the various weekly polls has been held by only a select group of teams. Through the end of 2011, the team and the number of times they have held the #1 weekly ranking are shown below. The number of times a team has been ranked #1 in the postseason poll (the national champion) is shown in parentheses.


2011 NAIA football rankings, Leading Vote-Getters
In 1999, the results of a postseason poll, if one was conducted, are not known. Therefore, an additional poll was presumed, and the #1 postseason ranking has been credited to the postseason tournament champion, the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers.


2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
The 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season was the seventeenth season of the third highest stock car racing in the United States. The season included twenty-five races, beginning with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the 2010 season, NASCAR announced a few notable calendar changes, including a race addition at Kentucky Speedway and the removal of Gateway International Raceway from the schedule. DeLana Harvick won the owners' championship, while Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing won the drivers' championship with a tenth-place finish at the final race of the season. Chevrolet won the manufacturers' championship with 193 points.


2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Teams and drivers, Part-time schedule
Note: A driver designated with a (R) next to their name indicates that they are contenders for the 2011 Rookie of the Year award.


2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Teams and drivers, Rookie entries
The 2011 Camping World Truck Series rookie class, from the outset, was packed with talent. Ranging from development drivers Cole Whitt, Joey Coulter, and Parker Kligerman to Snowball Derby winner Johanna Long, ex-Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr., fourth-generation driver Jeffrey Earnhardt, ARCA Racing Series runner-up Craig Goess, and Brazilian touring car driver Miguel Paludo. From the outset, Whitt impressed many by winning the pole at Darlington early on, but struggled midway through the season. Earnhardt's Rick Ware Racing truck team shut down after Martinsville when sponsor Fuel Doctor abruptly left the team for Turn One Racing.


2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Teams and drivers, Rookie entries
Goess was released by Eddie Sharp Racing after only 9 races and was replaced by Justin Lofton. Sponsorship woes sidelined Long's rookie bid, as well as those of Dusty Davis and Justin Johnson. Paludo managed 7 top 10s in his first full season. Kligerman, Coulter, and Piquet improved their finishes mid-season, surging past a struggling Whitt. Eventually, Coulter emerged on top as ROTY.


2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Results and standings, Drivers' standings
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position earned by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
The 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season is the fifth season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. This season comprised twelve races at eleven different venues, seven of which were contested on oval courses.


2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Overview
The fifth season of racing had a few different race procedures for the 12 events to be run this season spanning across 5 provinces featuring 12 events. New procedures include a new rookie of the year format, the introduction of the wave around and three attempts at a green-white-checker finish. All of the races were televised on TSN in one-hour tape delayed episodes, excluding Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and Toronto which were aired live on the network.


2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Overview
The season started off May 28 at Mosport International Raceway, where 2008 champion Scott Steckly led most of race and went on to win the event. He won three events and finished in the runner up position 4 times on his way to capture his second championship over D.J. Kennington, who had a pair of wins. Long time road racer Robin Buck and Rookie Peter Shepherd III won their first career events respectively. Andrew Ranger won the two biggest events of the year in dominant fashion at Montreal and Toronto. Former champion Don Thomson Jr. retired after a lengthy career.


2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Schedule
The 2011 calendar consists of twelve races at eleven different venues. Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, Quebec will make its debut in the series this year.


2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Results, Standings
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings. * – Most laps led.


2011 NASCAR Corona Series
The 2011 NASCAR Corona Series was the eighth season of the Corona Series and was organized by NASCAR Mexico. The season was composed by fourteen races in seven venues across Mexico. The season started in Monterrey with the Regia 200, and finished in Mexico City in the Mexico Fest 200. Six drivers won races being Homero Richards the most winner with five. Mónica Morales won the owners championship for third time and Germán Quiroga successful defend his championship, winning his third championship. Enrique Contreras III won the Rookie of the Year title.


2011 NASCAR Corona Series, Report
The kickoff of the season was in Monterrey. This was the 100th race of the NCS. Patrick Goeters dominated the race from start, and won his fourth race in his career. In the second race, Jorge Goeters won his 10th race, and the fourth in this track. Goeters together with Germán Quiroga shared the leading. The race was shortened by time, originally was scheduled to 250 laps (201 km). The third race in Aguascalientes saw to Rogelio López started from the back of the grid, because to failed the inspection after the qualification, but he took the victory.


2011 NASCAR Corona Series, Report
Germán Quiroga became in the leader of NCS. In Chiapas, Jorge Goeters took his first victory of the season in a race with 10 cautions. The race was shortened of 200 laps to 129 laps by time. Again Homero Richards took the first place in the fifth race. This was the first of fourth wins in a row that finished in San Luis Potosí.


2011 NASCAR Corona Series, Report
In the second part of the season, Rafael Martínez won in his hometown. For Martínez was his 15th victory, he took the historic second place. But, soon Quiroga reached the 15th victory in the next race and two more before the end of the season. This last victory marked the third championship for Quiroga.


2011 NASCAR Corona Series, 2011 calendar
The schedule was presented on March 8 with 14 races in 7 venues.


2011 NASCAR Corona Series, Results and standings, Driver standings
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2011 NASCAR Corona Series, Results and standings, Rookie of the Year
Only the best 10 results count in the final classification.


2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series
The 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season was the thirtieth season of semi-professional stock car racing in the United States. The season included thirty-four races, beginning with the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the 2010 season, NASCAR announced a few notable calendar changes, including race additions at Iowa Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway, and the removal of Gateway International Raceway from the schedule. Jack Roush won the Owners' Championship, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Roush Fenway Racing won the Drivers' Championship with a second-place finish at the final race of the season. Ford won the Manufacturers' Championship with 212 points.


2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Teams and drivers, Rookie entries
2010 NASCAR K&N East Series Champion Ryan Truex was intended to run 10–20 races with Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, and was the early favorite to win Rookie of the Year. However, sponsorship issues sidelined Truex's bid for the title, forcing him to sit out most of the season. He was later tabbed by Joe Gibbs Racing to drive their No. 20 Toyota late in the season. Blake Koch, returning to NASCAR after sitting 2010 out due to losing sponsorship, was to drive the No. 81 alongside veteran Donnie Neuenberger.


2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Teams and drivers, Rookie entries
However, Koch picked up sponsorship from Daystar Television Network, which eventually expanded to sponsoring Koch for the full year. Rick Ware Racing development driver Timmy Hill was 17 years old when the Nationwide Series hit Daytona, and thus was not approved to run until the next week in Phoenix. Jennifer Jo Cobb's rookie season was hampered by a fallout with 2nd Chance Motorsports owner Rick Russell over starting and parking, and she briefly moved to Rick Ware Racing before moving her own team up to Nationwide with limited success. Charles Lewandoski intended to make ten races for TriStar Motorsports, but ended up running some start and park efforts with Key Motorsports.


2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Teams and drivers, Rookie entries
The RotY lead would be contested mostly by Hill and Koch, who were tied heading into the season finale at Homestead. However, Hill prevailed over Koch and became the youngest Rookie of the Year in series history.


2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Changes, Rule changes
The 2011 series seen a rule change aimed at limiting the impact of drivers racing in multiple series. According to a story reported by NASCAR.com on January 11, 2011, drivers were allowed to earn points in only one of NASCAR's three national series in a given season. This is enforced on NASCAR's annual license application form, which now requires drivers to indicate the series championship for which they wish to compete. This had the effect of preventing full-time Cup drivers from competing for the Nationwide Series title, although they were still  able to run in all Nationwide races. Ineligible drivers still accumulated owner points for team standings that determine the Owner's Championship and exemptions (top 30 full-time teams that have attempted every race are guaranteed to start the race). This and other changes were officially announced by NASCAR president and CEO Brian France on January 26.


2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Changes, Rule changes
France also announced major changes to the points system in all three national touring series. Effective during the season, the winner of each race received 43 points, with a one-point decrease for each successive finishing position (42 points for second, 41 for third, and so on). The race winner also received three bonus points, with single bonus points being awarded to all drivers who led a lap and to the driver who led the most laps. This means that a race winner was assured of either 47 or 48 points, while a second-place finisher earned at most 44.


2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Changes, Rule changes
The closed-loop fueling system previously introduced in the Truck Series, which eliminates the catch can man from the pit crew, debuted in all three national series.


2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Results and standings, Drivers' standings
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results. * – Most laps led.


2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, Results and standings, Drivers' standings
Kyle Busch was excluded from the second Texas race due to rough driving in that weekend's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Showdown and Sprint All-Star Race was the 27th running of NASCAR's special non-points race involving winners of the 2010 and 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races through the 2011 FedEx 400 as well as Sprint All-Star Race 2001–2010 winners, when the event was known as "The Winston" and the "Nextel All-Star Challenge", and past Sprint Cup champions from the decade covering 2001 to 2010, including the "Winston Cup" (2001–2003) and "Nextel Cup" (2004–2007) eras. The event was run at the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Charlotte, North Carolina suburb of Concord on May 21, 2011. Speed provided television coverage in the United States while MRN (over-the-air/terrestrial) and Sirius XM Radio (satellite) had radio rights.


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Race format
The format of the race was similar to the 2010 event, broken down as follows:


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Race format
The qualifying session for eligible drivers consisted of three laps instead of the standard two, including a pit stop after either of the first two laps, slowing to the speed limit of 45 mph entering pit road, but going full throttle as they exit.


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Eligible drivers
The following drivers qualified for the race in these categories:


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Eligible drivers, Past Series Champion drivers
The following five drivers fit into the Past Champions category:


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Eligible drivers, Past All-Star race-winning drivers
The following four drivers are eligible as a past winner of the event in the last decade:


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Eligible drivers, 2010 or 2011 race winners
The following ten drivers are eligible by winning a Sprint Cup points race in 2010 or 2011:


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Eligible drivers, 2010 or 2011 race winners
For those not listed above, a special race, The Sprint Showdown, consisting of two halves of 20 laps [30 miles (48 km)] each was held prior to the main event. The top two finishers and a driver chosen by a fan poll were promoted to the main event:


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Eligible drivers, 2010 or 2011 race winners
Only winning drivers, not teams, are eligible to race in the All-Star Race; previously a team could qualify for the race even if the driver who won a race for the team was no longer employed by them.


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Eligible drivers, 2010 or 2011 race winners
* - Trevor Bayne was scheduled to run in the All Star Race, but the Wood Brothers team withdrew him due to him still recovering from an illness.


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Other events, Induction of the 2011 Class to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
The formal inductions for the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, made up of Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson, and Lee Petty, was held the day after the race on Sunday, May 22. This became the last year the inductions will take place in May; beginning in 2012, the ceremonies will be held in January following a June election.


2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Other events, Craftsman All-Star Pit Crew Challenge
The annual Craftsman All-Star Pit Crew Challenge competition was held on the Thursday prior to the race at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte. The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing team, led by Mike Ford, won the competition over the #48 of Hendrick Motorsports. As a result, the #11, driven by Denny Hamlin, received the first selection of pit stalls for the All-Star Race.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 63rd season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 40th modern-era Cup series season. The season included 36 races and two exhibition races, beginning with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The final ten races were known as 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2011 season is considered by many to be one of the greatest and most exciting seasons in Cup Series history. It had the closest points battle in history, with Tony Stewart winning the Drivers' Championship with a victory at the final race of the season in a tiebreaker over Carl Edwards due to having five wins on the season vs. Edwards' one win.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
To much surprise, Stewart, after barely making the Chase that year and having zero wins when the postseason began, went on to win five of the final ten races and then the title over Edwards, who led the points for most of the year despite only scoring one win early in the season at the Las Vegas. There were nineteen different race winners, the most since 2001. There were also five first-time Cup Series winners, most notably Trevor Bayne, the first of those, with his upset win in the Daytona 500 in just his second career Cup race.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The other first-time winners were Regan Smith at Darlington, David Ragan at Daytona in July, Paul Menard at Indianapolis, and Marcos Ambrose at Watkins Glen. Some of those races the first-time winners won are also the biggest and most prestigious on the schedule. In addition, Jimmie Johnson's photo finish win over Clint Bowyer at the spring Talladega race became tied (with Ricky Craven's photo finish with Kurt Busch at Darlington in 2003) for the closest finish in the series, and six other races were decided by a margin of 0.059 or fewer.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
During the 2010 season, NASCAR announced several calendar changes for 2011, including race additions at Kansas Speedway and Kentucky Speedway, and the removal of one race each from Atlanta Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway. Once the 2010 season had concluded, NASCAR also announced changes to the point system, and that the fuel changed from Sunoco unleaded to an ethanol blend called 'Sunoco Green E15'.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
In addition, Stewart-Haas Racing, owned by Stewart and Gene Haas, won the Owners' Championship, while Chevrolet won their ninth-consecutive Manufacturers' Championship with 248 points. Stewart became the first owner-driver to win a Cup title since Alan Kulwicki in 1992.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Jimmie Johnson's streak of winning five consecutive Cup Series championships ended in 2011, and he finished sixth in points this season.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Teams and drivers, Team changes
In preparation for 2011, Penske Racing made team changes by moving Brad Keselowski, along with his No. 12 team, into the No. 2 Miller Lite car, replacing Kurt Busch and his 2010 team, who moved to the newly formed No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil car. Another change was made by Hendrick Motorsports, who rearranged three of the four-car team. The team moved Steve Letarte with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Alan Gustafson with Jeff Gordon, and Lance McGrew with Mark Martin.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Teams and drivers, Team changes
On January 7, 2011, Bob Leavine and Lance Fenton announced the formation of Leavine Fenton Racing, and that David Starr drove for the team. In February, another team was formed, FAS Lane Racing, by Frank Stoddard. In March, David Stremme announced his return to the Cup Series with a new team, Inception Motorsports. They ran the No. 30 Chevrolet and attempted to make the [[2011 Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400|spring race at Richmond]].


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Teams and drivers, Team changes
In October before the Bank of America 500, it was announced that Sinica Motorsports would join the Cup Series for 3 races in 2011, running the No. 93 Chevrolet with either Bill Elliott or Terry Labonte and that ARCA driver Grant Enfinger would drive for the team for 10–15 races in 2012. (The team only ended up only attempting the season-finale at Homestead with Enfinger in 2011, which they failed to qualify for, and no races in 2012.)


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Teams and drivers, Team changes
Another new team for 2011, America's Racing Team, was scheduled to debut in the Daytona 500 with their No. 76 Chevrolet. The team was formed in 2010 before the July race at Daytona. The team was unique because fans could pay between $44.95 to $1,999.95 to own a portion of it. However, AMR was unable to get off the ground and they did not attempt any races.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Teams and drivers, Driver changes, Changed teams
Several drivers changed teams for the season. One of which was Paul Menard, who left Richard Petty Motorsports to drive for Richard Childress Racing. Menard signed a three-year deal to expire at the end of 2013, with options for further years. Other changes were Kasey Kahne who joined the Red Bull Racing Team, after leaving Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010, and Marcos Ambrose who left JTG Daugherty Racing to drive for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2011, as a replacement for Kahne. Also, Bobby Labonte replaced Ambrose at JTG Daugherty Racing, and Bill Elliott, who moved from Wood Brothers Racing to Phoenix Racing. Kevin Conway, the 2010 NASCAR Rookie of the Year in the Sprint Cup Series, also made a change by moving to NEMCO Motorsports.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Teams and drivers, Driver changes, Entered the series
For the 2011 season, Trevor Bayne, who placed seventh in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, entered the series driving for Wood Brothers Racing in 17 scheduled races. Another driver, Brian Keselowski also entered the series, after qualifying for the 2011 Daytona 500 for the K-Automotive Motorsports team.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Teams and drivers, Driver changes, Exited the series
Some drivers left the series, such as Elliott Sadler who left Richard Petty Motorsports to drive for Kevin Harvick Incorporated in the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. Sam Hornish Jr. also exited the series and moved to the Nationwide Series to participate in ten races, after new sponsorship for his Sprint Cup Series car could not be found. After the final race of the 2010 season, Scott Speed exited the series after Red Bull Racing Team dismissed him to make room for Kahne. The change resulted in Speed filing a lawsuit against the team for several reasons.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Teams and drivers, Driver changes, Mid-season changes
During July 2011, Max Q Motorsports announced that Scott Speed signed a three race contract with the team to race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Pocono Raceway. Following the announcement, Speed commented, "I am excited to get back to the track. Max Q Motorsports seems to have a good operation and a great group of guys. Ford has a great engine package, so I'm hopeful that we can get the ball rolling quickly and be competitive out the gate. "


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Teams and drivers, Rookie entries
At the beginning of the season, two drivers announced plans to participate in the 2011 Rookie of the Year standings. The drivers were Andy Lally driving for Kevin Buckler's TRG Motorsports, and Brian Keselowski, moving his family-operated K-Automotive Motorsports team up from the Nationwide Series. Trevor Bayne, who was running half the season with the Wood Brothers, did not participate in the standings after deciding to participate for the Nationwide Series championship. T. J. Bell entered later in the season and collected his first Cup points at Pocono. As Lally was the only rookie driver to run the required 17 races to keep eligibility, he won the rookie award easily despite being released from TRG before Homestead.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Changes, Rule changes
After the 2010 season, the catch can man, who caught excess fuel during pit stops and adjusts the track bar, is no longer needed, because of the addition of a self-venting fuel can. On January 11, 2011, NASCAR reported drivers can only be able to compete for the championship in one of NASCAR's three national racing series, which means the drivers who race in multiple series, most notably in the Cup and Nationwide Series, are able to compete in the races, but not for the championship.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Changes, Rule changes
The rule does not affect the exemption rule, as exemptions are determined by the top 35 in NASCAR car owner points. Drivers ineligible for Sprint Cup driver points earned Sprint Cup owner points for their team.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Changes, Rule changes
An announcement came on January 26, 2011, when Brian France announced that the winner of the race, excluding bonus points would receive 43 points, and each position lost one point from the position before, so that the first position would receive 43 points, while second would receive 42. For bonus points, if the driver leads a lap they receive one, if they lead the most laps they receive one more, and if they win the race they receive three more points.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Changes, Rule changes
On the same day, France announced changes to the qualifying format, such as the qualifying order being set by practice speeds from slowest to highest. If qualifying is canceled, the grid would be determined by practice speeds, unless they are also cancelled, then they lined up by Drivers' points. In the press conference, it was also noted that in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the eleventh and twelfth positions would be awarded to whoever has the most victories who are ranked from 11th to 20th in regular-season driver's points. Those drivers would not be given bonus points for wins. In addition, the number of base points received by Chase drivers at the points reset were set at 2,000 instead of the previous 5,000.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Changes, Other changes
During the 2010 season through the off-season, NASCAR announced a change to the front end of the race cars. The change removed the splitter braces, and made it a single molded piece. The fuel for all major series in NASCAR changed from Sunoco unleaded to an ethanol blend called 'Sunoco Green E15'. But during the rest of the season on August 23, Toyota unveiled the new Camry at Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California and the teams changed their headlights, taillights, fog lights, and rear for the rest of the season.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Schedule
On August 18, 2010, the final calendar was released containing 36 races, with the addition of two exhibition races. The schedule also includes two Gatorade Duels, which are the qualifying races for the Daytona 500.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Schedule, Calendar changes
For the 2011 season, NASCAR made several changes to the schedule. One change was that the Subway Fresh Fit 600, held at Phoenix International Raceway, was reduced to 500 kilometers, making the name Subway Fresh Fit 500, and it became the second race of the season. Also, the Kobalt Tools 500, held at Atlanta Motor Speedway, was discontinued. The Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway, was reduced to 400 miles making the name Auto Club 400, and became the fifth race of the season.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Schedule, Calendar changes
More changes to the schedule included Kansas Speedway gaining a race (the STP 400), which was run on June 5, 2011, and Kentucky Speedway hosted its first Sprint Cup Series race, the Quaker State 400 on July 9, 2011. The Chase schedule was changed to the GEICO 400 becoming the first race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup; the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the second, while Auto Club Speedway's Pepsi Max 400 was removed completely from the schedule.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Schedule, Calendar changes, Starting times
Another change for the season involves the races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, which had different starting times so they would not conflict with the beginning of NFL games. The change was made after seven races during the 2010 season began at 1:00 pm EST, the same time as the NFL games began. The change delayed the start of the first six races, excluding Charlotte, to 2:00 pm EDT, while the last three started at 3:00 pm EST. Charlotte Motor Speedway's race remained on Saturday night. Martinsville Speedway's October race on Halloween weekend featured a 1:30 pm EDT start because the track did not carry lights, and as a result is using the 2004–09 start time of 1:30 pm EDT. As of 2020, Martinsville Speedway now has lights.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Preseason
The preseason testing season began on January 20, 2011, with a three-day test at the Daytona International Speedway to test the new nose on the car, as well as the new surface. Also in the sessions, the opening of the restrictor plate was reduced from the 30/32 inch plate used in tire testing in December to 29/32 inch. NASCAR vice president for competition Robin Pemberton stated, "We'll have to get back and talk to the teams and look at the speeds from the last two days of testing.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Preseason
I think we have some high-water marks at 197-and-a-half which, depending on where they pulled up in the draft, it may be a little quick, but it's hard to say." During the first session on the morning of January 20, 2011, 33 drivers participated, and Clint Bowyer was quickest with a speed of 184.216 mph while David Reutimann had the highest speed of 195.780 mph during the second session in the afternoon.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Preseason
The third test session, scheduled for the morning of January 21, was canceled because of wet weather. During the fourth session, held during the afternoon, 34 drivers participated with Denny Hamlin being quickest with a speed of 196.868 mph. Several drivers decided to leave after the session, which included Reutimann, Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Bowyer. During the fifth session, held on the morning of January 22, 29 drivers participated, and Joey Logano was quickest with a speed of 197.516 mph. Brad Keselowski was quickest with a speed of 198.605 mph in the final session. Once the testing concluded, NASCAR managing director of competition John Darby commented that he did not expect to change the restrictor plate that they used in the January test sessions, leaving the opening at 29/32 inches.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
In the first exhibition race of the season, the 2011 Budweiser Shootout, Hamlin crossed the finished line in the first position, but since he passed below the yellow out of bounds line, Kurt Busch became the winner of the race.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
Trevor Bayne won the opening race of the season in the Daytona 500 after David Ragan received a penalty for a restart violation, with Bayne becoming just the fifth driver to win the race for Wood Brothers Racing and the youngest ever to win the Daytona 500 at 20 years and 1 day, as well as the first driver to win the race (excluding the inaugural 1959 race) in his first Daytona 500 start. Four-time champion, Jeff Gordon claimed victory in the 2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, after leading the most laps of 138, ending a 66-race winless streak.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
Next, Carl Edwards won the 2011 Kobalt Tools 400 after Tony Stewart, who led the most laps, was penalized on pit road. After winning the Nationwide race on Saturday, Kyle Busch held off Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson to take his fifth consecutive Bristol victory. Though Kyle dominated the race, Jimmie Johnson took the lead briefly but was passed on the last lap by Kevin Harvick, who took his first win of 2011 at Auto Club Speedway. The following week, Harvick passed fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. with four laps to go to win at Martinsville Speedway. Roush Fenway Racing dominated the weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, with Matt Kenseth leading 169 laps en route to his first victory in 76 races.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
In the Aaron's 499 Jimmie Johnson edged Clint Bowyer for the win at Talladega Superspeedway by .002 seconds, tying the closest finish in series history. For the third consecutive season, Kyle Busch dominated the spring race at Richmond, leading 293 of 400 laps en route to his second win of the season After being denied victory at Talladega in 2008, Regan Smith stayed out on older tires and held of points leader Carl Edwards for his and Furniture Row Racing's first Cup Series victory at Darlington Raceway. Making a last minute two-tire pit stop on the final pit stop, Matt Kenseth outran former teammate Mark Martin to take his second win of the season at Dover.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
At the second exhibition race of the season, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXVII at Charlotte Motor Speedway, David Ragan and Brad Keselowski finished 1–2 in the Sprint Showdown, while fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the fan vote to transfer into the main event. Carl Edwards dominated the final two segments and held off Kyle Busch for his first All-Star victory.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
With the teams remaining in Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600, Dale Earnhardt Jr. came close to snapping his winless drought by gambling on fuel, but ran out of gas on the backstretch, allowing Kevin Harvick to drive to his 3rd win of 2011. At 402 laps and 603 miles, the race was the longest in NASCAR history.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
At the inaugural STP 400 at Kansas Speedway, a dominant Kurt Busch was forced to stop for fuel with 7 laps to go, allowing teammate Brad Keselowski to take the lead and hold off a charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his second Sprint Cup victory. At the 5-hour Energy 500, a quick final pit stop enabled Jeff Gordon to beat polesitter Kurt Busch out of the pits, getting Gordon his 84th Sprint Cup victory, tying Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for third on the all-time wins list and also tying Waltrip for the most wins in NASCAR's modern era.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
The next week at Michigan, defending race winner Denny Hamlin got an excellent final pit stop, enabling him to hold off Matt Kenseth for his first win of the season. The next week at Infineon Raceway, Kurt Busch dominated the race and easily held off Jeff Gordon for his first win of 2011 and first on a road course.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
The series returned to Daytona for the Independence Day weekend. Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne crashed out early, and David Ragan with help from teammate Matt Kenseth, rebounded from his late 500 loss to take his first Sprint Cup victory. The following week, at the inaugural Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, Kyle Busch dominated the race and held off a hard charging David Reutimann for his third win of the season.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
Heading up to New England for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at Loudon, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart, both drivers for Stewart-Haas Racing started first and second on the grid, and the two remained in the same order at the conclusion of the race, Newman's his first win of season. After an off week, the series made its way to the prestigious Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. Though Jeff Gordon had the dominant car, pit strategy got Paul Menard out front and eventually hold off a hard-charging Gordon for his first career Sprint Cup victory.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
The series returned to Pocono for the Good Sam RV Insurance 500. The Joe Gibbs Racing trio of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano dominated the race, but Brad Keselowski, racing injured from a crash at Road Atlanta, held off Busch with 10 to go to take his second win of the year.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
The next week at Watkins Glen, Cup drivers returned to road course racing, and Marcos Ambrose held off Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch in a green-white-checker finish and avoided several violent crashes, including David Reutimann flipping in the esses on the final lap, to claim his first Sprint Cup Series win, becoming the fifth first-time winner in 2011. Ambrose also became the first Australian ever (and fourth foreign-born driver) to win a Cup Series race.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
The series returned to Michigan for the Pure Michigan 400, and Kyle Busch would dominate the race and hold off Jimmie Johnson for his fourth win of 2011. Heading to Bristol for the Irwin Tools Night Race, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth dominated the race, but Brad Keselowski got out front after a fast final pitstop and held off Martin Truex Jr. for his third win of 2011.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
Heading to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Labor Day weekend, the race was pushed to Tuesday September 6 due to Tropical Storm Lee dumping rain on the Southwest Sunday and Monday. When the race resumed, Jeff Gordon held off Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for his 3rd win of 2011 and his 85th overall win in the Cup Series. At the Wonderful Pistachios 400, the last race of the regular season was hotly contested with multiple drivers needing a win to break into the Chase.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
Kevin Harvick would end up holding off the field for his 4th win of 2011 while Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski completed the two wild card spots in the top 12. For the first time, Chicagoland Speedway was the site of the Chase opener. With the race delayed until Monday due to rain, Tony Stewart held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick and outlasted the field on fuel to take his first win of 2011. The teams headed up north to return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Sylvania 300.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
Once again, the race came down to fuel mileage as Tony Stewart passed Clint Bowyer with 2 laps to go and held on for his second consecutive win of the year. In the series' return to Dover, Jimmie Johnson dominated the race, but Kurt Busch took advantage of a restart and held off Johnson for his second win of 2011. Heading to Kansas, Jimmie Johnson once again dominated the race, but sealed up his second win of the season on a Green-white-checkered finish by holding off Kasey Kahne.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
The series returned to Charlotte for the halfway mark of the Chase. Kyle Busch dominated the race, but Matt Kenseth passed Busch late in the race and held him off for his third win of 2011. During the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega, the controversial two-car draft dominated the race, as the RCR duo of Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer pulled away from the field on a late restart, though Bowyer would pass Burton on the final lap and beat him to the line by a fender for his second consecutive fall Talladega win.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
The teams returned to Martinsville for the final short track of the season. There, the Chase drivers had up and down days, but Tony Stewart passed Jimmie Johnson on the final restart to grab his third win of 2011 and keep his Chase hopes alive. Returning to Texas, Stewart dominated and passed  a gambling Jeff Burton with 5 to go to hold off points leader Carl Edwards for his fourth win in 2011.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
At the penultimate race in Phoenix, the drivers face a completely new Phoenix International Raceway. Stewart dominated once again, but Kasey Kahne held off a hard-charging Carl Edwards to snap an 81 race winless streak.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Report
At the season finale, championship contenders Edwards and Stewart dominated the race with a razor-thin points gap, but Stewart prevailed and took home both his fifth win of 2011 and defeated Edwards for his first Cup championship as an owner-driver (Stewart and Edwards were tied in points after the race; Stewart prevailed on the first tie-breaker, number of race wins during the season – Stewart had five wins during the season (all during the Chase) while Edwards had only one win in the third race of the season). 2011 saw 5 drivers win their 1st ever Sprint Cup race (Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, David Ragan, Paul Menard, and Marcos Ambrose). 2011 also saw 19 different drivers winning at least one race. 2011 matched 2001 with both modern era record accomplishments.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Results and standings, Drivers
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by final practice results. * – Most laps led.


2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Results and standings, Drivers
Kyle Busch was excluded from the second Texas race due to rough driving in that weekend's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.


2011 NASCAR Stock V6 Series
2011 NASCAR Stock V6 Series was the support series for the NASCAR Corona Series. This season was the first with the name Stock V6. The season was raced only in ovals.


2011 NASCAR Stock V6 Series, Resume
The season began in the Autódromo Potosino. Rubén García, Jr., son of the driver Rubén García Novoa, won the first event. In the second race, Raúl Galván Jr. take the victory. Meanwhile, Rubén García, Jr. won the championship.


2011 NASCAR Stock V6 Series, Results, Standings
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan
The 2011 NATO attack in Pakistan (also known as the Salala incident, Salala attack or 26/11 attacks) was a border skirmish that occurred when United States-led NATO forces engaged Pakistani security forces at two Pakistani military checkposts along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border on 26 November 2011, with both sides later claiming that the other had fired first.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan
Two NATO Apache helicopters, an AC-130 gunship and two F-15E Eagle fighter jets entered as little as 200 metres (660 ft) to up to 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) into the Pakistani border area of Salala (located in the Baizai subdivision of the Mohmand Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas) at 2 a.m. local time. They came from across the border in Afghanistan and opened or returned fire at two Pakistani border patrol check-posts, killing 28 Pakistani soldiers and wounding 12 others. This attack resulted in a deterioration of relations between Pakistan and the United States. The Pakistani public reacted with protests all over the country and the government took measures adversely affecting the American exit strategy from Afghanistan, including the evacuation of Shamsi Airfield and closure of the NATO supply line in Pakistan.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan
On 3 July 2012, then-United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton officially apologized for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military. Subsequently, Pakistan restored the NATO supply routes.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack
On 26 November 2011, US-led NATO forces opened fire on two Pakistani border check-posts near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The attack occurred at approximately 02:00 local time (01:30 in Afghanistan and 21:00 GMT). According to the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Major General Ashfaq Nadeem, the attack was a coordinated NATO strike and used two AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters, an AC-130H Spectre gunship and two F-15E Eagle fighter jets. A MC-12W Liberty turbo-propeller aircraft was used in an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance role.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack
The check-posts were located 200 metres (660 ft) to 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) inside Pakistan from the border with Afghanistan in the Salala area of the Baizai subdivision of the Mohmand Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Pakistan, and separated by a distance of one kilometre on the Salala mountain top.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack
The attacks caused the deaths of up to twenty-four Pakistani soldiers, including two officers, Major Mujahid Mirani and Captain Usman Ali. Thirteen other soldiers were injured. Both sides reported they were attacked first. The poorly defined border, as well as a history of Taliban fighters moving around the Afghan border regions, were cited as possible contributing factors to the incident.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, US-Afghan claims
According to Afghan and US officials, the incident started after US-Afghan coalition forces, which were conducting an operation against the Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar Province, were fired upon from border positions within Pakistan. "There was firing coming from the position against Afghan army soldiers who requested support", said one Afghan official in Kabul.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, US-Afghan claims
The Afghan official further stated they were being fired upon directly from a Pakistani military outpost itself. A Western official backed up that view by stating, "They were fired on from a Pakistani army base." And, "It was a defensive action." According to Afghan and US accounts helicopters were then called in for support against the incoming fire.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, US-Afghan claims
A Pakistani defence official reportedly admitted that soldiers in the Pakistani border post sitting there for the express purpose of stopping infiltration fired a few flares, a couple of mortar rounds and one or two bursts of machine-gun fire in that direction.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, US-Afghan claims
Another US official in Kabul pointed to an incident in September 2010, when a NATO helicopter fired on a Pakistan outpost, killing two soldiers. "It was a situation where insurgent forces butted right up against a Pakistani border post and used that as a firing position. When we fired back, we hit Pakistani security forces. Military officials in Kabul claimed insurgents in Pakistan have also used empty Pakistan border bases to stage attacks, which they say may have been the working assumption of the coalition forces who called in the airstrike when they drew fire.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, US-Afghan claims
One US official said NATO forces had informed the Pakistani army's 11th Corps command near the western border that operations against Taliban insurgents would take place on that day. Pakistani General Abbas admitted in a press conference that coalition forces had "informed our military earlier, much earlier, that they will be conducting an operation there."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, US-Afghan claims
According to the US military, information about the proposed strike was passed on at one of the centres on the border where both sides station officers and exchange information in an effort to avoid firing on each other, after which Pakistani officers cleared the strike, saying that there were no Pakistani forces in the area.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, Pakistani claims
The incident sparked outrage and controversy in Pakistan, which termed the attack an "unprovoked and indiscriminate firing," an "irresponsible act," and a "stark violation" of its sovereignty. Leaders of the Pakistani military establishment viewed NATO's attacks on the army checkposts as intentional, pre-planned and premeditated. Slamming NATO's version of events as "lame excuses", Pakistan rejected claims of any firing having emanated from its side as a prelude to the encounter, saying that the soldiers who were manning the post were asleep and resting when NATO launched the assault at night.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, Pakistani claims
The director general of the ISPR, Major General Athar Abbas challenged NATO to "present proof if they claim that firing was started from Pakistani side. No fire was opened from our side." He asserted that "At this point, NATO and Afghanistan are trying to wriggle out of the situation by offering excuses. Where are their casualties?" Meanwhile, the claim that the airstrike was cleared by Pakistani authorities was categorically denied by Pakistan which claimed that the attack continued for two hours, even after Pakistani officials alerted coalition forces to stop.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, Pakistani claims
Preliminary reports from the Pakistan Army told of about 40 soldiers being present at the two check posts, most of whom were sleeping or resting when the raid took place. The helicopters first attacked the border post, named "Volcano", atop the mountain peak. This initial attack cut all the communications to and from the post, and a Pakistan Air Force air support could not be called in time to counter the attack. Instead, Pakistani troops stationed at the nearby post named "Boulder" engaged the NATO helicopters with anti-aircraft guns. The helicopters soon withdrew.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, Pakistani claims
Pakistani authorities tried to contact their NATO counterparts in an effort to inform them of the situation but the Pakistani request reportedly failed to reach the attacking force. The helicopters returned a second time engaging Boulder border post again. A short while later communication with the NATO commanders was established and the attack was called off. All casualties were from the initial attack on the Volcano border post. Later, Major General Abbas expressed that it was beyond comprehension why the NATO forces returned to attack the second time.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, Pakistani claims
According to local officials, there was no militant activity along the Afghan border region when NATO conducted the attack. Abbas, spokesperson ISPR, said that the coordinates of the two border posts had been given to ISAF. He added that the attack lasted for almost two hours and claimed that the personnel on the posts alerted the GHQ which in turn immediately informed the ISAF regional base in Afghanistan to stop the attack at roughly 12:30 AM but they did not. GHQ in return gave permission to the personnel on the outposts to retaliate.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, Pakistani claims
NATO communicated at roughly 1:15 AM that they had realised that they were attacking Pakistan Army and that their forces had been ordered to stop. Yet NATO's aerial bombardment continued with another salvo aiming at the Pakistani rescue force that rushed to the aid of the two posts. Pakistan termed the event an "unprovoked and indiscriminate firing", an "irresponsible act", and a "stark violation" of its sovereignty. The attack was the deadliest NATO strike on Pakistani soil since the start of the war in Afghanistan. In a media conference with the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, Pakistani claims
Major General Ashfaq, Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Waheed Arshad, claimed that this was not an "unintended" incident. On accounts of series of events he commented that NATO was informed at the time of attack but their helicopters remained on course of aggression. Pakistani military also said that the NATO forces returned a second time to attack the post again.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, Pakistani claims
When he was asked whether Pakistan was satisfied with the investigating team headed under US Air force Brigadier General Stephon, he responded sharply by commenting that all incidents in past in relation to violation of Pakistan's sovereignty did not come to an agreeable conclusion. Pakistan was invited to jointly investigate the incident, but Pakistan refused to participate.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Background and timeline, The attack, Pakistani claims
On 9 December, Major General Ashfaq claimed that NATO had been monitoring radio transmissions that night and knew they had hit Volcano post. The Pakistani military called the strike "unprovoked and indiscriminate." Government of Pakistan launched a strong protest with U.S and also immediately discontinued the supply to NATO troops located in Afghanistan. Notably, the strike on Saturday came one day after Gen. John Allen, the commander of the US-led coalition in Afghanistan, visited Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. In that meeting, both the commanders discussed border co-ordination and other measures "aimed at enhancing border control on both sides."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines
Pakistan immediately closed all NATO supplies to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the attack, leaving the blockaded supply trucks vulnerable to attacks. NATO trucks had been using the supply routes, in Khyber Agency (through the Khyber Pass at Torkham) and Balochistan (near Chaman), to supply US and international forces fighting in Afghanistan.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines
US policy makers tried to find alternative routes through Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan (termed as the "Northern Distribution Network") but these are longer and less effective than routes through Pakistan. Huge costs are associated with the Central Asian supply lines, and NATO's supply line through Russia is already under a looming danger of closure due to friction over missile defence plans. Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan is highly dependent on Pakistan for its imports.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines
According to figures released by The Pentagon in January 2012, the United States was paying six times more to send supplies to troops in Afghanistan via alternative supply routes following the closure of Pakistani routes. The figures placed the new US costs at $104 million per month, roughly $87 million costlier per month than when the cargo was transported via Pakistan. The high costs were associated with the routes being lengthier.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Continued strife
In late March 2012, a US military official stated that the United States would have to use routes through the Northern Distribution Network (NDN) for supplies to Afghanistan if Pakistan refused to reopen its supply lines. However, he conceded the expensiveness of these routes and noted that negotiations with Pakistan regarding the possibility of opening of the supply routes were ongoing. After reviewing United States-Pakistan relations and outlining what was needed to repair bilateral relations, the Pakistani parliament turned the decision of reopening the NATO supply lines over to the government in April 2012.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Continued strife
Due to an upcoming general election in Pakistan, with widespread anti-American sentiments in the country, the Pakistani government was reluctant to reopen the lines, and postponed its decision until the United States responded positively to Pakistani demands outlined in the parliamentary recommendations, such as a US apology for the November 2011 incident, the bringing of those involved in the strike to justice, and a stop to US drone airstrikes. Talks between Pakistan and the United States failed in April 2012 after Pakistan could not get an unconditional apology from the United States for the November 2011 incident.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Continued strife
The White House refused to apologise after Taliban attacks in Kabul and other cities in Afghanistan on 15 April 2012, which according to US military and intelligence officials came from the Haqqani network, an Afghan group working from a base in North Waziristan along the Afghanistan border in Pakistan's tribal belt. Pakistani officials said they cannot open the NATO supply routes in Afghanistan without a US apology.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Continued strife
Later in May, Pakistan demanded the United States to pay stiff fees as a condition to open up NATO supply routes into Afghanistan. The United States, however, could not pay the required $5,000 per truck due to budgetary restraints according to US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. "Considering the financial challenges that we're facing, that's not likely," Panetta said of the Pakistani demand of $5,000 for each truck carrying supplies across its territory for NATO troops waging the Afghanistan war.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Continued strife
Unnamed US officials said that US officials said they had hoped a meeting between Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and US President Barack Obama as well as sharing the spotlight with President Obama and other global leaders during the 2012 NATO Chicago Summit might provide an incentive for a deal on resuming supply shipments. "The invitation was an inducement to get them back into the international fold," said a senior US official, speaking anonymously because of the sensitive issues. "But the Pakistanis couldn't get their own act together" in time for the summit. "The main issue, it seems, is money."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Continued strife
The United States and Pakistan had nearly completed a deal to reopen crucial NATO supply routes into Afghanistan in June 2012, when Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said the US was "reaching the limits of our patience" over Islamabad's failure to root out Afghan insurgents in its tribal areas.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Continued strife
In the wake of Panetta's comments, deputy assistant secretary of Defense Peter Lavoy was not allowed to meet with the Pakistani Army Chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and the Pentagon announced that it was bringing home a negotiating team that had worked in the Pakistani capital for nearly two months to end the bitter impasse over the supply routes. A senior US official disputed the notion that Panetta's criticism of Pakistan had set back the talks. "The sticking point for a long time has been the apology issue," the official said.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
Pakistan decided to reopen the supply lines after the US Secretary of State apologised on 3 July 2012 for the Salala incident via a telephone call to Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. "Foreign Minister Khar and I acknowledged the mistakes that resulted in the loss of Pakistani military lives," Clinton said in a statement. "We are sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military. We are committed to working closely with Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent this from ever happening again."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said in a separate statement that the US "remains committed to improving our partnership with Pakistan and to working closely together as our two nations confront common security challenges in the region", US General John R. Allen said in a statement that the agreement is "a demonstration of Pakistan's desire to help secure a brighter future for both Afghanistan and the region at large." and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the announcement to reopen the supply lines, stating saying it highlighted the important role Pakistan has in supporting a stable future for Afghanistan.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
Pakistani reactions to the US apology were different. "We appreciate Secretary Clinton's statement, and hope that bilateral ties can move to a better place from here. I am confident that both countries can agree on many critical issues, especially on bringing peace to the region," Pakistan's ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman said in a statement. In general the decision to reopen the supply routes was met in Pakistan with a general sense of befuddlement and muted criticism that the Pakistani government had given up a much-trumpeted increase in transit fees for NATO trucks.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
Opposition politicians criticised the move and demanded more of an explanation from the Pakistani government and military. "Now government should let the people know about the terms and conditions for reopening the NATO supply lines. What were the demands?" said former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Enver Baig, an opposition politician belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz complained about Americans: "They did not apologize. They said 'sorry.'" Some Pakistani vowed civil disobedience to stop the convoys.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
"The decision to reopen NATO supplies is a big crime against the country, and we will not sit silently over this," retired Lt. Gen. Hamid Gul, a leader of the Defense Council of Pakistan (a coalition of Islamic parties that includes pro-Taliban clerics and other foes of the NATO routes) and a former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, told the Pakistani cable channel Express News. "We will come to roads and streets and protest against the decision and will also try to stop the supplies."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
Pakistani Taliban announced that they will attack any NATO supply trucks travelling along the routes. Transporters who resume supplies will be "considered a friend of the U.S." and will face the consequences, a spokesman for the militant group said. Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder said that both NATO and Pakistani forces had taken into account losses in the past. "The losses, despite the fact that they have become a problem are nowhere near the levels that would cause alarm bells to ring" the correspondent said. According to his analysis it would cause a problem if "the Pakistani Taliban attack bridges or decide to take these people head on in the tribal areas" connecting Pakistan to the southern Afghan province of Kandahar.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
American officials said according to The New York Times that Hillary Clinton's increasingly cordial relationship with the young Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar paid dividends in resolving the dispute between both countries over the Salala incident. A final agreement on the wording of Clinton's statement of her conversation with Khar came after a week of marathon talks that included two trips to Islamabad by General John R. Allen, the US commander in Afghanistan, and a quickly arranged weekend trip by Thomas R. Nides, the deputy secretary of state for management and resources.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
In recent weeks Nides and Pakistani Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh had spearheaded the negotiations to reopen the supply lines. After weeks of behind-the-scenes phone calls, e-mails and meetings between Nides and Abdul Hafeez Shaikh reached an agreement on the terms for the reopening of the NATO supply lines.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
Besides the US apology both sides agreed to the following: After initially demanding as much as $5,000 for each truck Pakistan dropped its insistence on a higher transit fee for each truck carrying NATO's nonlethal supplies from Pakistan into Afghanistan and agreed to keep the fee at the current rate of $250. The Obama Administration will ask Congress to reimburse Pakistan about $1.2 billion for costs incurred by 150,000 Pakistani troops carrying out counterinsurgency operations along the border with Afghanistan.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
"With the GLOCs open, we will look to pay past coalition support fund claims," Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby said, using a Pentagon acronym for the supply routes. The United States military reimburses by "coalition support funds" Pakistan for logistical, military and other support provided to American military operations against militants, but these payments have been suspended since Pakistan shut off the routes. More precisely the US halted paying the bills from Pakistan as tension rose between the two countries. The Pentagon will now consult with Congress about paying the bills prior to paying Pakistan in full.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
During their telephone call Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar made it clear to Secretary of State Clinton that no lethal equipment would transit into Afghanistan through the Ground Lines of Communication i.e. the ground supply lines except those meant for equipping the Afghan National Security Forces. Pakistan's Defense Committee of the Cabinet, which approved the deal, said the agreement was in the country's best interest and a boon to the Afghanistan peace process.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
Allowing NATO convoys to enter and exit Pakistani territory would speed the withdrawal of Western forces, the Pakistani government said in a statement, and "enable a smooth transition in Afghanistan." According to The New York Times the agreement reflected a growing realisation by Pakistani officials that they had overplayed their hand, misjudged NATO's resolve and ability to adapt to the closing by using an alternative route through Central Asia, and a recognition on both sides that the impasse risked transforming an often rocky relationship into a permanently toxic one at a critically inopportune time. Despite the resolving of the Salala incident there are frictions in both countries relations such as Pakistan's opposition to US drone strikes on Pakistan soil, and Washington's allegations that Islamabad condones, or even assists, anti-American militants.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
The deal ended a diplomatic deadlock that brought US relations with the nuclear-armed South Asian nation to a near standstill and hindered counter-terrorism operations against Pakistan-based militants. Because of the supply lines closure the United States has spent at least an additional $100 million a month because it was instead forced to move supplies by air, rail or truck through Russia and other countries north of Afghanistan at much longer and more expensive routes.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
The closure of the supply lines complicated the American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, cost the United States more than $1 billion in extra shipping fees as a result of having to use the alternative routes through Central Asia and also held up delivery of thousands of armoured vehicles and other equipment meant for the fledgling Afghan army and police, slowing US efforts to build Afghan forces that can stand up to the Taliban insurgency as foreign troops withdraw.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
The reopening of the supply lines means that the US will save hundreds of millions of dollars in the run-up to the withdrawal of NATO forces from the Afghanistan and also that it would help the US and NATO to complete its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan "at a much lower cost" according to Clinton.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
Despite the reopening of critical supply routes from Pakistan, the US military confronts a giant logistical challenge to wind down the war in Afghanistan because it must withdraw till the end of 2014 nearly 90,000 troops and enormous depots of military equipment accumulated over a decade of war which includes 100,000 shipping containers stuffed with materiel and 50,000 wheeled vehicles.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
The above-mentioned agreement between Pakistan and the United States was never an issue of money alone. "It was a matter of honor for the army," said Laiq ur-Rehman, a Pakistani defence correspondent for ARY News, a cable channel. "The only word they were looking for was 'sorry.' It was a matter of pride, a matter of honor, a matter of ego." "If it had been about the money, it would have been done months ago," said a US senior administration official knowledgeable about the negotiations. "Just like for us, it was not just about the supply routes."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
According to the BBC the reason for the long US refusal to apologise for the Salala incident was deep anger among Americans about the death of US soldiers in Afghanistan from attacks by militant groups with alleged connections to Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency. Another reason for the United States refusal to apologise was the determination by American military investigators that Pakistan was equally culpable in the Salala incident because Pakistani soldiers, stationed on a ridge overlooking the border, had fired first on US troops on the Afghan side of the border. Pakistan has disputed that conclusion, saying its forces did not fire first.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
After the first NATO supply trucks crossed the Afghan border on 5 June 2012, Pakistanis questioned the NATO supply line deal. "The US has not apologized formally," said Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the main opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Imran Khan, another major opposition figure, went further, saying that "the decision isn't only against national interest but can also stir unrest within the ranks of the armed forces." He also criticised the incumbent government as being a pawn of the United States.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Closure of NATO supply lines, Supply lines reopening
Political and religious parties in Pakistan undertook "long march" to Islamabad to protest reopening of supply routes to Afghanistan. Pakistan declared it will scan all NATO containers passing through the country to ensure they do not contain weapons and unapproved items will be seized. 560,000 rupees ($6,000) compensation per vehicle would be paid to the truck owners by NATO subcontractors for being out of work for seven months because of the blockade according to Rana Mohammad Aslam, vice-president of the All Pakistan Goods Carrier Association.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Shamsi airfield vacated
On 26 November, the same day the incident occurred, Pakistan ordered the US to shut down and vacate the Shamsi Airfield in the southwestern Balochistan province within a deadline of 15 days. US forces and the Central Intelligence Agency had reportedly leased this airbase in 2001 for joint surveillance and launching drone attacks against militants in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. The Shamsi airbase was the only military base in Pakistan being used by the United States, and orders of its evacuation by US personnel symbolised an increasing rift and deterioration in relations between Pakistan and the United States.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Shamsi airfield vacated
In early December, the US military personnel occupying the base, along with all military equipment, were shifted to the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan via US military aircraft. On 10 December, Pakistani troops from the Frontier Corps took full control of the airfield as scheduled, and by 11 December all remaining American staff were evacuated. Upon establishing control of the airfield, the United States flag was removed from the base and replaced with the flag of Pakistan.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Shamsi airfield vacated
The impact of the closure has been questioned, as the United States still has the ability to conduct drone attacks from nearby bases in Afghanistan, and according to the Pakistani military, the base was used mainly for refuelling and maintenance of drones, as well as for emergency landings and logistical support, and not for conducting actual drone operations which had in fact ceased in April 2011. Following the incident, Pakistan stated its intention to shoot down any future US drones intruding on its airspace, and the US suspended drone operations to avoid antagonising Pakistan. One report said that American drone attacks in Pakistan dropped by as much as 50% due to the Salala attack, as well as legal cases.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, United States exit strategy
Among the immediate repercussions of the incident is that the United States' attempts to end the war in Afghanistan peacefully may now be in jeopardy. Some Pakistani officials warned that the attack could have "huge implications" for the Afghan endgame. Pakistan, which is designated as a major non-NATO ally by the United States and is seen as a key facilitator in bringing the United States to the negotiations table with the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, had already halted those efforts according to an unnamed Pakistani official close to the military establishment.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, United States exit strategy
While addressing a Senate committee, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar warned that a repeat incident could end Pakistan's support to the United States in its war against militancy. "Enough is enough. The government will not tolerate any incident of spilling even a single drop of any civilian or soldier's blood. Pakistan's role in the War on Terror must not be overlooked." She added that "the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war on terror are more than any other country. But that does not mean we will compromise on our sovereignty."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Pakistan's refusal to attend Bonn Conference
In the wake of the NATO attacks, the Pakistani government refused to attend the Bonn conference scheduled on 5 December 2011. The event in Bonn, Germany is an important international conference on Afghanistan. International pressure over Pakistan mounted as it refused to attend the Bonn conference. Secretary Hillary Clinton contacted the Pakistani Prime Minister but her plea was rejected because Pakistani public opinion prohibited attendance. The conference was generally regarded as a disappointment, partially because of Pakistan's absence.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Repercussions of the incident, Revision of western-border rules of engagement
Pakistan also strengthened its air defences and surveillance along the Afghanistan border as a precaution against any future incursions. DGMO Major General Ashaq Nadeem was quoted saying "We can expect more attacks from our supposed allies". Pakistan's army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani issued directions to commanders posted at the border to fire without permission if any further aggression is received. According to a Pakistani security official, Pakistan had upgraded to a "fully equipped air defence system" on the Afghan border which has the capability of detecting, tracing and shooting down any aircraft. These weapons notably include indigenous shoulder-to-air Anza Mk-III missiles and anti-aircraft guns. The Pakistan Air Force cancelled leave for all its air reconnaissance-related personnel and deployed aircraft to start a round-the-clock combat air patrol over the Afghan border to prevent all intrusions including drone attacks.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions
The already fractured relationship between Pakistan and the United States fell to a new low following the incident, with the Pakistani government and military establishment reassessing their diplomatic, political, military and intelligence relationship with the United States.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan promptly lodged a protest with US ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter following the attack. In an official phone call to the United States, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that the attacks demonstrated "complete disregard for international law and human life" and were "in stark violation of Pakistani sovereignty." Sentiments within the Pakistani military leadership suggested the attack as being a pre-planned plot that was executed deliberately and intentionally.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
Retired Brigadier Mahmood Shah, former chief of security in the tribal areas, said that so far the US has blamed Pakistan for all that is happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan's point of view has not been shown in the international media, so the matter should be taken up by the United Nations Security Council. He advised Pakistani authorities to shoot down NATO aircraft should a similar event take place in the future, and to keep the supply lines closed, on the argument that the US cannot afford a war with Pakistan.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), a media wing of the Pakistani military, released a statement calling the attack unprovoked and said that chief of army staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had called the incident unacceptable and "directed that all necessary steps be under taken for an effective response to this irresponsible act".


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, emerged as fiercely hostile to Washington in his final year engaging in "shouting matches" with then CIA director Leon Panetta, cutting cooperation down to a minimum, ordering the harassment of U.S. diplomats in Pakistan and locking up CIA blackwater and agent Shakil Afridi in Pakistan.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
The Pakistani Senate passed a unanimous resolution which denounced the attack and called it contrary to United Nations resolutions and international laws. Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik commented on the issue clarifying that the supply lines have not been suspended, rather been permanently shut down and the trucks would not be allowed to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan urged the international community to condemn the incident to prevent such incidents in the future. The Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Masood Kausar, termed the air strike as "deliberate" and asserted that claims over the incident being accidental were untrue. He also blamed the instability in neighbouring Afghanistan as a cause of instability in Pakistan.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
The televised funeral ceremony of the soldiers who died was held in Peshawar and was attended by several high-level military and political figures, including the Chief of Army Staff. Afterwards, their bodies were dispatched to their native towns for burial. The soldiers hailed from various regions, including three from Azad Kashmir alone, while the Major was from Larkana and the Captain from Sahiwal. Family members of Major Mujahid Mirani and Captain Usman Ali said the soldiers "sacrificed their lives" for the country and that they were proud of those sacrifices. The Army Chief later also paid a visit to the injured soldiers, who had been transported to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Peshawar.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
On 28 November 2011, referring to Pak-US military, intelligence, political and diplomatic co-operation, the Pakistani Prime Minister announced that there would be no more business with the US and the relations between the two countries would never be the same again. Later the Director General of ISPR, Abbas, announced that NATO's apology was not accepted and the attack would have serious consequences. He said that NATO's regret over the attack was not enough and such incidents had happened in the past, killing 72 soldiers and injuring more than 250 troops in three years. While addressing a gathering of journalists at a military headquarters, Pakistan Army Major-General Ashfaq Nadeem described the Salala incident as a "deliberate act of aggression" and said it was "next to impossible" that NATO did not know they were attacking Pakistani forces.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
The next day, Pakistan's ambassador to the UN, Hussain Haroon wrote to a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to inform him of the situation and requested that the statement be forwarded to the 193-nation general assembly and the 15-nation security council (UNSC) as a UNSC document.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
Commenting on drone attacks, a senior Pakistani official said that predator drones "will never be allowed back, at Shamsi or anywhere else" although he hinted that American military trainers may be allowed back into the country to train Pakistani security forces. Pakistan had previously dumped American security personnel out of the country, following a covert operation by US special forces that killed Osama bin Laden in the town of Abbottabad in May 2011 and strained Pakistan's relations with the United States. As of January 2012, foreign affairs minister Hina Rabbani Khar said Pakistan's ties with the United States were "still on hold" over the NATO air-attack and that until the re-evaluation was not complete, Washington could not ask Islamabad to pursue militant groups or assist in the Afghan peace process.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
I would like the American public to consider what their reaction would have been if American troops had been killed in such an attack on their border with Mexico.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Government and military
In May 2012, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of President Zardari and chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, toughened his stance when he called on President Obama to "show some courage" and "apologise to Pakistan" over the raid. Ridiculing US demands for Islamabad to "do more" in the Afghanistan war, Bilawal remarked "it is time for the US to do more". He called US drone operations a "constant irritant" to Pakistani public opinion and questioned whether the United States "actually considered Pakistan a military ally", citing other controversial events such as the Abbottabad operation and the Raymond Davis incident. He also remarked that while he understood Obama was facing a re-election, "the future of the NATO mission in Afghanistan should be more important than poll numbers".


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Opposition political parties
I know that the government will not do anything except issue some silly comments against brutality even after this attack. I do not issue comments, I believe in taking action.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Opposition political parties
A PML (N) politician remarked that the government's incompetence had allowed the attack to be carried out.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Opposition political parties
Imran Khan, a popular opposition politician and former cricketer who has been a long-time staunch critic of the government's foreign policy and its decision to join the American-led War on Terror, called the attack unpardonable during a political rally in Multan, and said the Pakistani government had wasted $70 billion belonging to the Pakistani people, as well as the lives of 40,000 people, on fighting a counter-productive American war: "I know that the government will not do anything except issue some silly comments against brutality even after this attack. I do not issue comments, I believe in taking action."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Opposition political parties
An Awami National Party politician and senator called the incident a terrorist attack. Awami Muslim League party leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed supported a blockade of NATO supplies "to teach an unforgettable lesson to USA and NATO forces for violating Pakistani soil." MQM chief Altaf Hussain condemned the attack and directed his party to observe a "Stability and Solidarity Day". Former president Pervez Musharraf heavily criticised the attack while giving a telephonic conference to the Karachi Press Club and advised the government to take strict measures at a diplomatic level.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Opposition political parties
Many other leaders also called on the government to pull out of the war in Afghanistan and disassociate itself from the U.S. alliance. The JUI called the attack a "shameful incident" and "a slap across the face of Pakistani foreign policy" adopted by rulers who "always bow before their foreign masters."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Opposition political parties
Protesters affiliated with the right-wing Jamaat-ud-Dawa held a rally outside the Lahore Press Club where they urged the Pakistan Army to give a "befitting response" to NATO; the leader of the party said "We have to eliminate all stations and bases given to the CIA if we want to end terrorism in Pakistan".


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Public and media
The NATO attack received considerable criticism and caused widespread outrage among the country's civil society and media, with some perceiving it as an intentional act of war that may have been pre-planned. Numerous protests were organised in several cities for a number of consecutive days after the attack occurred. Members of the public demanded an end to the US alliance and pressurised the government to consider pulling out from the War on Terror, permanently halt all NATO supplies, expel American citizens in Pakistan and plan a tit-for-tat military retaliation.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Public and media
Some locals in the tribal agencies demanded those who carried out the attack to be handed over to Pakistan. Hundreds of people organised a gathering outside the American consulate in Karachi to lodge a protest. Various lawyers' associations throughout the country boycotted their usual court proceedings and observed a strike to mark the day. Many university students also boycotted their classes to protest. Students in Peshawar blocked a main road where they chanted "Quit the war on terror" and other anti-American slogans. Schoolteachers and students in Azad Kashmir expressed their outrage during a protest in the capital Muzaffarabad.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Public and media
Protests were also organised in the northern towns of Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. Some faculty members of the University of the Punjab, the country's oldest university, passed a "resolution" in which they backed the Pakistan Army, stating that "Pakistan does not want war, but war is being imposed on it" and said the War on Terror was a "drama" staged by the "US elite" and a certain group of rich international bankers referred to as the "high cabal" by Winston Churchill who wanted to establish a "world government".


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Public and media
The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry condemned the attack as well. Local television cable operators pulled out western channels such as BBC World News to deter what they called "anti-Pakistan bias" in the media. Leaders of Pakistani Christian communities also condemned the attack and pledged their support for the armed forces along with calling for a UN inquiry; speaking on the occasion, the president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference said: "Our soldiers lost their lives in the line of duty. They died fighting terrorism". Religious leaders and scholars of the Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christian and Baháʼí communities also condemned the incident during an inter-faith meeting.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
The White House released a statement in which it said that senior American officials had expressed their condolences to Pakistan and that the officials expressed "our desire to work together to determine what took place, and our commitment to the U.S.-Pakistan partnership which advances our shared interests, including fighting terrorism in the region". US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spoke to their Pakistani counterparts to give their "deepest condolences" in a joint statement and also supported a NATO investigation.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
The commander of the International Security Assistance Force is "personally paying the highest attention" to the matter. The Obama administration pledged co-operation with Pakistan and ordered a full investigation and inquiry to be conducted into the attack. A few days later after the incident, President Barack Obama personally phoned President Asif Ali Zardari to express his sorrow over the deaths of the soldiers and, according to a press release, "made it clear that this regrettable incident was not a deliberate attack on Pakistan and reiterated the United States' strong commitment to a full investigation." while stopping short of offering a formal apology.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
A NATO spokesman said that NATO "regrets the loss of life of any Pakistani servicemen".


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
On 27 November 2011, NATO issued an apology for what it called a "tragic unintended incident". In addition, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen is reported to have written to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani commenting that "the deaths of Pakistani personnel are as unacceptable and deplorable as the deaths of Afghan and international personnel". "We have a joint interest in the fight against cross-border terrorism and in ensuring that Afghanistan does not once again become a safe haven for terrorists," Rasmussen was quoted as saying.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
The US Chief of Army Staff, General Martin Dempsey, said Pakistan's anger was justified as it had a reason to be furious given the loss of life. However, Dempsey did not apologise, saying he did not know enough about the incident and an inquiry was still being conducted. A senior advisor to Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned that Pakistan and Afghanistan may be on a course toward military conflict. Hamid Karzai contacted the Pakistani Prime Minister to discuss the NATO strike and gave his condolences over the deaths of soldiers.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
The commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), General John R. Allen, presented condolences to the family members and loved ones of the dead soldiers and ordered a "thorough investigation" into the matter. NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen wrote to Pakistan's Prime Minister to say "the deaths of Pakistani personnel are... unacceptable and deplorable."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
At the same time, US senators such as John McCain and Lindsey Graham said the United States needed to "fully review" its ties with Pakistan and consider enforcing cuts or new restrictions to military and economic aid, in response to attacks on American soldiers in Afghanistan which the United States accuses of having links to Pakistani intelligence agencies.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
I would like to extend my most sincere condolences to the people and government of Pakistan, and especially to Pakistan's men and women in uniform, for the tragic incident that took place on 26 November in Mohmand Agency. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the men who died. Hamey bohat afsos hay (we are deeply saddened).


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
Dennis J. Kucinich, a US Congressman from Ohio, said while speaking at an event organised by the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) that the United States must apologise to Pakistan and pay reparations to the families of the soldiers, adding: "I'm aware of complexities around US-Pakistan relations, but you are our brothers and sisters, and we need to help facilitate those who want to take care of people here."


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, Reaction by the US and NATO
The US embassy in Islamabad released a video statement on YouTube featuring Ambassador Cameron Munter standing in front of the American and Pakistani flags, in which he expressed his regrets for the attack. Giving his condolences, Munter said the United States took the attack "very seriously" and pledged "a full, in-depth investigation." He also pointed out that Pakistan and the United States had been friends for over 60 years and that having "weathered previous crises together", he was certain they would both "weather this one too" to emerge as stronger partners.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, International reaction, Third parties
John Rees, a British socialist and anti-war political activist, called the NATO attack an "extremely dangerous incursion" and argued that the US and its allies were creating instability in the nuclear-armed country.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, International reaction, Third parties
Australian analyst Brian Cloughley said the attack would have severe consequences: "This is quite outrageous and I have no doubt it signifies the end of the last lingering shreds of trust that the Pakistani army had for the U.S.". According to Coughley, the USAF had full knowledge of the locations of Pakistani border posts, and thus there was no excuse for this incident.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, International reaction, Third parties
An article from the Asia Times by M K Bhadrakumar explains that US should learn from its experience with Iran. It has no answer to a resolute nation in its will to put up against an enemy and Pakistan is going to give a "Persian response" this time if the intention was to intimidate its army. According to Bhadrakumar, Pakistan's calculated response following the attack stops short of directly terminating its participation in the war although in essence, this event may push Pakistan's army "within inches of doing that" in the long-term scenario.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, International reaction, Third parties
A report published in the newspaper Pakistan Observer claimed that some military and defence observers at Islamabad believed NATO was playing a double game and was in league with the Tehrik-i-Taliban; according to the report, there was a theory being circulated which suggested that the attack carried out by NATO came just when some Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) militants from Afghanistan who had entered the region had been completely encircled by Pakistani forces and were about to be eliminated "within the next few hours". These check posts were there to check them and prevent from crossing the border into Pakistan. Pakistani monitors and experts on Afghanistan believed that at least two Afghan military officials deployed on the border, Brigadier General Aminullah Amarkhel and Colonel Numan Hatifi (of the 201st Silab Corps), have anti-Pakistan sentiments and links to anti-Pakistani elements.


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, International reaction, Third parties
An article published in People's Daily, China's top state newspaper, accused the United States and NATO of flouting international law and fanning terrorism. Simultaneously, many Chinese scholars, analysts and members of leading think tanks also expressed strong criticism of NATO's attack. A former spokesperson for the US state department said China, which is a close ally of Pakistan, "sees this as a target of opportunity, both to tweak the US and to subtly suggest to Pakistan that if it really sours of its relationship with the US, it has an alternative".


2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, Reactions, International reaction, Third parties
Writing for the Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune, Indian blogger Sanjay Kumar said the attack had elicited various reactions in India, with some vocal sections who saw Islamabad in "the prism of prejudice and paranoia" expressing glee and delight at the discomfort and supposed humiliation of their arch-rival western neighbour. Kumar opinionated that "such sick thought has many takers in this healthy democracy which prides itself as the voice of the third world countries". An opinion piece by Abdul Rauf Colachal published on the Indian Muslim Observer titled "NATO terrorism in Pakistan" said that Pakistan's leadership was "interested mainly in promoting US imperialist goals and western capitalist interests" rather than protecting the interests of its people.