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Pakistan: President calls for US to stop drone attacks
 (AKI) - Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday called drone attacks on the country "counter-productive" and called for the raids to be stopped. Zardari spelled out his concerns to the Commander, US Central Command, Gen. David Petraeus, and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher at his official residence in Islamabad. "Continuing drone attacks on our territory, which result in loss of precious lives and property, are counterproductive and difficult to explain by a democratically elected government. It is creating a credibility gap," he said. Zardari said the raids should be stopped and the focus shifted to enhanced coordination and intelligence-sharing. There is growing concern in the US about how Islamic militants are exploiting areas of Pakistan's rugged northwest region to support the growing insurgency in neighbouring Afghanistan. Washington is suspected of conducting at least 17 missile strikes in Pakistan since August. In September, the US provoked outrage across the country when troops conducted a ground assault in a tribal region in Pakistan's northwest. Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, Secretary Foreign Affairs Salman Bashir, US Ambassador Anne Patterson and senior military officials from both countries also attended the talks. Zardari said that US leaders had affirmed their respect for Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding however that in the wake drone attacks on our side of the border the government was under pressure to react more aggressively. Posted by: Fred 2008-11-04 |
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