Pakistan tells next U.S. leader to stop attacks

[unhappycamper]

Pakistan tells next U.S. leader to stop attacks
By Chris Brummitt - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 4, 2008 23:05:02 EST

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Washington must stop U.S. missile attacks on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border or risk losing the war against al-Qaida and the Taliban, Pakistan’s prime minister warned.

“No matter who the president of America will be, if he doesn’t respect the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan ... anti-America sentiments and anti-West sentiment will be there,” said Yousuf Raza Gilani in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday in his heavily guarded residence in the capital Islamabad.

Over the last two months, the U.S. has launched at least 17 strikes on militant targets on Pakistan’s lawless side of the Afghan border.

Washington says the region is believed to be home to many of al-Qaida’s top leaders, including Osama bin Laden, and is also used by militants blamed for rising attacks on NATO and U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

But Gilani said the U.S. attacks by unmanned drones in the semiautonomous tribal regions were “uniting the militants with the tribes. How can you fight a war without the support of the people?” he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_pakistan_110408/%2e