US-Pakistanis ask Obama to tone down bombing Pak rhetoric

Lahore, Oct 11 : Pakistani-Americans have reportedly urged upon Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to tone down his bombing Pakistan rhetoric.

During his presidential debate with Republican rival John McCain, Obama had last week said that if he won the poll, he would launch strikes on Pakistans territory in search for Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, and also vowed to crush the international terrorist organization.

A group of Pakistani-Americans and anti-war activists delivered a letter to Obamas Chicago office, calling on him to cool political rhetoric about bombing targets in Pakistan, the Daily Times quoted a report in the Chicago Tribune, as saying.

The group also has plans to send a similar letter to McCain.

In the letter, the Pakistani-Americans said: We are particularly concerned with your public pronouncements earlier this week in support of violating the borders of our ally, the country of Pakistan.... You must understand the sweeping dismay that your avowed support for US military incursions into Pakistan...has elicited among untold numbers of Pakistani-Americans and peace activists across the country.

Ifti Nasim, host of a Pakistani radio show in Chicago, said that the US was making a mistake by attacking Pakistan and making Pakistan your enemy.

According to the report, Nasim and other protesters criticised US military incursions into the Tribal Areas to attack Taliban and Al Qaeda targets. They also decried the Bush administrations use of unmanned military drone aircraft, which have resulted in civilian deaths.

ANI