Zardari hints US drone strikes have Govt backing

Islamabad, Dec 18: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the government has no other option but to continue air strikes on the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata) to counter terrorism, a statement that hinted that US strikesin tribal areas were being conducted with the government's consent.

Zardari held a meeting with the tribal elders at the President House to take their suggestions about combating terror on Wednesday.

However, tribal elders expressed reservations about the US drone attacks and said innocent people were also being killed.

According to the Dawn, President Zardari is reported to have told tribal elders, "There is no alternative to fighting militancy because militants want to capture political power through the use of force to impose their own political agenda. This the government would never allow."

Earlier, President George W. Bush has indicated that drone attacks on suspected terrorist targets inside Pakistan's tribal areas would continue.

While addressing the White House press corps, President Bush said that Washington would not consult other governments before ordering such strikes.

"You know very well that when it comes to certain matters, the US government doesn't discuss operations," said Bush when asked if Afghan President Hamid Karzai and he were on the same page on drone attacks.

The US president said that for dealing with extremists who got embedded in the population, a country needed to combine pressure with a strategy to win over the hearts and minds of the local people.

Bush seemed very confident about Pakistan's support in the war on terror, particularly so about Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari.

Asked what Pakistan needed to do to fight terrorism, Bush replied: "Well, first of all, the first question is, is there a determination" and then the engine of his plane made a sharp noise. (ANI)