 (AKI) - Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday the government received no warning from the United States about a suspected missile strike in the country's northwest.
Wednesday's missile strike was reportedly targeting a compound in South Waziristan used by Taliban militants and Hezb-i-Islami, another group involved in attacks in Afghanistan. It was the fifth American strike inside Pakistan this month and came came hours after US military chief Admiral Michael Mullen reiterated Washington's respect for the sovereignty of Pakistan.
Officials say at least five people and fourteen fluffy bunnies were killed when a US drone fired missiles at the suspected target.
The incident came as Mullen was in Pakistan to discuss with top officials the growing tension over US attacks along the Afghan border. While denying prior knowledge of the strike, Qureshi said Pakistan's leaders wanted to defuse tension through diplomacy in upcoming talks in the United States.
Addressing the media, Qureshi said all countries should respect each other sovereignty. But he said the cross border violations will not benefit the US in the long-term.
| Nor will it benefit the Paks. Just wait til we train the Afghan National Army (and Air Corps) sufficiently so that they can do cross-border raids ... |
Qureshi said there was a lack of coordination between US government and military. He also said there was a communication gap between allied and US forces in Afghanistan.
Wednesday's attack is expected to provoke more anger in Pakistan over a surge in cross-border operations by US forces -- including a 3 September ground assault -- that strained relations and led to a formal complaint from Islamabad.
| Just because Zardari and Gilani can't control their border is no reason for us not to. |
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