Drone attacks inside Pak tribal areas part of Obama's policy: Mullen

Washington, Mar 2 (ANI): Chairman US Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen said that the drone attacks inside Pakistan's tribal areas targeting al Qaeda and Taliban militants were part of the Obama Administration's policy.

Asked if two suspected missile strikes were proof that President Barack Obama was escalating US attacks on al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan, Admiral Mullen said: "Well, I'm not going to talk a lot about our operations specifically."

A private TV channel quoted the top US military official as saying that the Predator drone attacks inside Pakistan were part of policy of the Obama Administration.

Mullen said it is "extraordinarily hard" to find Osama bin Laden, against whom the Washington has launched a massive manhunt post 9/11, The Nation reported.

"He's, obviously, a very, very difficult individual to find, I mean, extraordinarily difficult. It's not as if we don't have a considerable amount of effort pursuing that, and I'm certain that will continue, but he hides pretty well," he added.

Admiral Mullen noted the Pakistani forces on their side of the border and the US-led international and Afghan forces on the Afghan side have pressured militants in the restive region.

At the same time, he recognised complexity of the challenge in the tribal border areas, where, he said, the issue of militant hideout needs to continue to be addressed. (ANI)