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Islamabad demands US end drone attacks
Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff tells visiting US advisor on National Security that Washington should put an end to drone attacks in his country. During a meeting on Friday with US advisor on National Security James Jones at Pakistan's army headquarters in Rawalpindi, Gen Ashfaq Kayani said that the drone attacks must be halted immediately. Pakistan's top commander said that his country has paid a heavy price in the so-called war against terrorism. Washington says the drone attacks are aimed at killing militants but the indiscriminate raids have killed a large number of civilians in Pakistan's northwest since 2006. Based on an article published in the Pakistani daily The News in April, only 10 out of the cross-border predator strikes in Pakistan were able to hit their actual targets. According to independent reports, since August 2008 alone, more than 70 cross-border predator strikes carried out by American drones have resulted in the deaths of 687 Pakistani civilians. The attacks have sparked outrage among the public. The retired US general began his visit to Pakistan on Friday to hold talks on different issues with the country's civilian and military leaders including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Posted by: Fred 2009-11-15 |
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