Pakistan Angry, But Vows To Fight Terror

Presidential Front-Runner Says Country Stands With U.S. Amid Backlash Over First Ground Raid

(CBS/AP)  Pakistan's presidential front-runner said in a newspaper column Thursday he stands with the U.S. against international terrorism, comments that appeared amid growing furor over an American-led cross-border attack in Pakistani territory.

The raid in the South Waziristan tribal region was the first known foreign ground assault in Pakistan against a Taliban haven. The Pakistani government summoned the U.S. ambassador to protest the incursion, which officials said killed at least 15 people, including civilians.

The boldness of the thrust fed speculation about the intended target. But it was unclear whether any extremist leader was killed or captured in the operation, which occurred in one of the militant strongholds dotting a frontier region considered a likely hiding place for Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri.

U.S. officials told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin a small team of commandos crossed the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan to go after an al Qaeda cell operating out of a village less than a mile from the border. The leader of the cell - whose name the officials did not release - was reportedly killed along with several women and at least one child. The American military maintains the women were shot because they were firing at U.S. troops.

However, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi condemned the attack in an impassioned speech to lawmakers Thursday, saying it "violated the sovereignty of Pakistan." He also said "no important terrorist or high-value target" was killed.

"Innocent citizens, including women and children, have been targeted," Qureshi said. The ministry's spokesman said officials had no indication U.S. forces captured anyone in the raid.

Pakistan's Senate and National Assembly passed resolutions Thursday condemning the attack.

A Pakistan army spokesman warned that the apparent escalation from suspected U.S. missile strikes on militant targets along the Afghan border would further anger Pakistanis and undercut cooperation in the war against terrorist groups.

The operation came days before Pakistan's weekend presidential election and threatened to complicate an already difficult relationship between the two countries.

U.S. commanders have pushed Pakistan to put more pressure on militant groups blamed for mounting violence in Afghanistan. That has stirred speculation that U.S. forces might lash out across the frontier, despite the risk of angering Pakistanis.

Suspected U.S. missile attacks killed at least two al Qaeda commanders this year in the northwest, drawing protests from Pakistan's government that its sovereignty was under attack. U.S. officials did not acknowledge any involvement in those attacks.

The main ruling Pakistan People's Party is generally considered in line with U.S. goals in the war on terror, but it has to tread carefully because of deep anti-American sentiment in the country. Many Pakistanis blame their country's partnership with the U.S. in the war on terror for fueling rising militancy in their country.

People's Party leader, Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of assassinated ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is the leading candidate in Saturday's presidential vote by lawmakers.

In a column for The Washington Post, Zardari described global terrorism as chief among the challenges facing his country. The column mentioned an apparent assassination attempt against Pakistan's prime minister on Wednesday but did not mention the earlier cross-border raid.

"We stand with the United States, Britain, Spain and others who have been attacked," wrote Zardari, whose wife was killed in a gun and suicide blast in December. "Fundamentally, however, the war we our fighting is our war. This battle is for Pakistan's soul."

A lawmaker from the chief opposition party, that of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on Thursday blasted the U.S. for the attack.

"The American war against terrorism has become a war against Pakistan, and the killing of people by them at Angoor Ada is a clear example of it," Zafar Ali Shah said.

American officials say destroying militant sanctuaries in Pakistani tribal regions is key to defeating Taliban-led militants in Afghanistan whose insurgency has strengthened every year since the fundamentalist militia was ousted for harboring bin Laden.

After initial attempts to reach peace deals with fundamentalist Islamic groups in the northwestern tribal areas, Pakistan's government has stepped up an offensive in recent weeks. A firefight and air strikes killed 37 Islamic militants in the volatile region, Pakistani officials said Thursday.

Some U.S. officials have been pressing President George W. Bush to direct American troops in Afghanistan to be more aggressive in pursuing militants into Pakistan on foot as part of a proposed radical shift in regional counterterrorism strategy, the AP learned. The debate was the subject of a late July meeting at the White House of some of Mr. Bush's top national security advisers.

A U.S. commander told AP that U.S. troops in Afghanistan will step up offensive operations this winter because insurgents are increasingly staying in the country to prepare for spring attacks.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser said 7,000 to 11,000 insurgents operate in the eastern part of Afghanistan that he oversees - a far higher estimate than given by previous U.S. commanders.

He said the U.S. military realized more militants spent last winter in Afghanistan after speaking with elders and villagers who were pushed out of their homes. The spike in violence in the spring happened because insurgents were already in position to unleash attacks, though U.S. officials didn't know it at the time, he said.

Circumstances surrounding Wednesday's raid weren't clear, although U.S. rules of engagement allow American troops to pursue militants across the border into Pakistan when they are attacked.

However, Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said a so-called "hot pursuit" wasn't an issue, adding the attack "was completely unprovoked." He said Pakistani troops were near the village and saw and heard nothing to suggest the U.S. forces were pursuing insurgents.

Abbas said the attack was the first incursion onto Pakistani soil by troops from the foreign forces that ousted Afghanistan's hard-line Taliban regime after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the U.S.

He said the attack would undermine Pakistan's efforts to isolate Islamic extremists and could threaten NATO's major supply lines, which snake from Pakistan's Indian Ocean port of Karachi through the tribal region into Afghanistan.

Citing witness and intelligence reports, Abbas said troops flew in on at least one big CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, blasted their way into several houses and gunned down men they found there. He said there was no evidence any of the dead were insurgents or that the raiders nabbed any militant leader, but he acknowledged Pakistan's military had no firsthand account.

There were differing reports on how many people were killed. The provincial governor claimed 20 civilians, including women and children, died. Army and intelligence officials, as well as residents, said 15 people were killed.

[mbievtea]

The situation in Afghanistan and -- in relation -- Pakistan is like a football game. You always hear when a better team is winning, but the lesser team is staying close; in other words, the better team is "letting them hang around" ... Pakistan has to find that thwarting Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the "tribal regions" is not only necessary from the stand-point of American success, but it is necessary for Parkistan''s security. What we need to continue to understand and keep in mind is that the more Al Qaeda and the Taliban think they have a chance, the longer this will last ... and we already know this is going to last a long while. Pacifying the public mood needs to be taken into account, but to be truly effective -- when you know you are right! -- you can''t be afraid of it either.

[questionnews]

Obama has said that Pakistan is his target on the war on terror.

Look out Pakistan! One of the brothers is going to intrude on your turf and pop a cap in your a.ss!
(And maybe score some smack)

Obama---my homey!!

[samsel3]

The administrations true interests are Cheney%u2019s energy policy.Condi Rice is a former board member of Chevron Oil and mouthpiece for the administrations energy policy.

Part of that policy is the The Caspian Sea pipelines which will go through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,Pakistan, to the gulf of Oman and on to India & Nepal. The Caspian sea area holds one third of the world%u2019s oil and natural gas. South asia is their target market.
This pipeline was also the reason for the Afghanistan invasion. Cheney%u2019s energy policy is the root of all these middle east wars, a federal court judge sealed all documents associated with it for the administration, and the national media are not allowed to discuss or comment on it. More troops are needed in Afghanistan to protect the contractors building the pipeline.

Iran is planning pipelines with Russia to compete with British & US companies in southeast asian markets. Iran and Russia stand in the way of US & British control of these markets. The administration doesn t care all that matters to them are their freinds in BIG OIL & GAS and their corporate stock portfolios.

[hunterdon6]

I am sure glad that some of you aren''t running for President! Most of you sound like spoiled little children. Grow UP!

[hissteps4u]

Sadely you all give McVet a platform by even talking to him. it is obvious he is and has a malformed moral direction and mind. He thinks he his is a sound mind but all mentally challenged folks have the misunderstanding that the ability to speak means one is intellegent....

He is simply a hack with little to offer and even less to share except his currupt thinking process..

If he ever was a former Marine which is doubtful he certainly has no moral standing..

Simply ignore him if Ignorance is bliss he became a Blister long ago!!!!!!!!!!!

[deacon20081]

Let''''s just roll across the middle east and F*ck up any terrorists that we come across. You''''re either with us or against us.
Posted by guyfrompa49

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McSame pay for your posts? Bush implied before to All Americans that you are Aginst us or for the terrorists if he was not reelected.

[deacon20081]

Sorry McVet wrong to post such a curse word as "republican"

[deacon20081]

Mcvet you are a commie liberal aren''''''''t you! You love the idiot Obuma, you supposrt dedeat, you think that this sitting congress has done so much when they haven''''''''t done a damm thing! But sit on there as$ and say how they have done so much, they have the lowest rating in our conutry''''''''s history! lower than Bush! you moronic liberal freedom hater prick!


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Posted by zgomer !
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BRAVO! Only thing is Mcvet is not only a commie liberal; he thinks he is a Nazi.
Posted by scottyusa

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McVet is a 100% Grade A Republican his name should be McSheep.

[scottyusa]

Better that Iran be blamed. They can just say they had an "incident" while constructing a bomb and the catapult wasn''t setup yet to be aimed at Israel and unfortunately hit the wrong country. Better start rounding up all the virgins.

[Syndicate]

A couple nukes would solve this problem once and for all.