US Senator under fire over Pakistan drone attacks remark

Lahore, Feb. 27 (ANI): US Senator Dianne Feinstein has been targeted by Republican members for making a statement in the media confirming the presence of a secret US facility inside Pakistan that was used to carry out drone attacks against the Taliban.

Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee have asked the Obama administration to conduct an inquiry against Senator Feinstein.

In a secret letter to Dennis Blair, Obama's new director of national intelligence, Republicans sought a 'damage assessment' on Feinstein's remark.

Congressional sources told Newsweek that the request was sent by Republican Pete Hoekstra and other Republicans on the House intelligence panel.

On February 13, Feinstein said she was surprised that there was such opposition in Pakistan to the surge in missile strikes, launched by the CIA using remote-controlled drones called Predators.

"As I understand it, these are flown out of a Pakistani base," Feinstein said.

Feinstein's remarks immediately caused a stir in both Islamabad and Washington, where officials for years have steadfastly refused to comment publicly about Predator-related operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. (ANI)