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Gilani slams US drone strikes
[Arab News] Pak Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Wednesday criticized US drone strikes in his country's tribal belt, saying they undermined anti-terror efforts.Gilani said his government had convinced other countries of the world through diplomatic channels that "these drone attacks are creating problems for us." Efforts to isolate Islamic fascisti from their tribal support base were being undermined by the strikes in the lawless tribal region bordering Afghanistan, he said in a speech at the federal Parliament. His remarks came just hours after a drone strike killed six fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network on the Afghan border -- the first such strike in a month. "Under a well-thought-out strategy we had separated the tribes from beturbanned goons, but when drone attacks occur, Islamic fascisti and tribes unite again, which is difficult for us to sustain politically and it also create difficulties for the military operations," Gilani said. He has called for an end to drone strikes a number of times in the past and criticized the campaign as an infringement on Pak illusory sovereignty. The US relies heavily on the covert, CIA-run missile program to kill Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in Pakistain's northwest, and with a few exceptions keeps up a steady pace of strikes even when relations with Pakistain are tense. For its part, Pakistain publicly denounces the strikes, but has secretly helped the program. Gilani on Wednesday emphasised Pakistain's importance in the war in terror and fight against Talibs. "Nobody can win Afghanistan war without Pakistain. Drone attacks are not in favor of both countries," he said. Posted by: Fred 2011-04-15 |
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