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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan opposes expanded US drone attacks |
| 2009-12-05 |
| [Dawn] Pakistan opposes expanded US drone attacks against militants on its tribal areas, as well as any strikes on Baluchistan, where Washington believes Afghan Taliban leaders are hiding, the foreign ministry said on Friday. The White House has authorised the expansion of the CIA's drone programme in Pakistan to complement President Barack Obama's plans to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed officials. It said that for the first time, US officials are talking with Islamabad about the possibility of hitting Baluchistan, where Pakistan is already facing a low-level insurgency from Baluch rebels seeking provincial autonomy. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said there were limits to Pakistani cooperation, and the drone attacks were counterproductive. 'This has never been part of our discussions. There are clear red-lines as far as we're concerned,' he said when asked if there were any talks between Washington and Islamabad on expansion of drone attacks to Baluchistan. 'We have clearly conveyed our red-lines to them.' In outlining his Afghanistan strategy in a speech on Tuesday, Obama made a vague plea to Pakistan to fight the 'cancer' of extremism and said the United States would not tolerate Pakistan allowing its territory to be a safe haven for militants. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Obama made a vague plea Figgers, he can't even BEG correctly. Did it include a bow? |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2009-12-05 10:46 |