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WASHINGTON: The White House refused Thursday to comment directly on
Pakistani anger at a cross-border raid by Afghanistan-based
international forces just days before Pakistan’s presidential
vote.
Spokeswoman Dana Perino said US authorities were
“working to increase coordination and cooperation and supporting
the Pakistanis, as we work to fight against the Taliban in a
coordinated way.”
But Perino met questions about US policy in
general regarding cross-border raids inside Pakistan or details of
the Wednesday strike, which Islamabad has denounced as
“shameful” and unjustified, with a stone wall.
“In regards to the reports about that
incident, we have not commented, and I won’t today,” she told
reporters. “I’m just not going to comment on the incident in any
way.”
Authorities in Pakistan, a close US ally in the
global war on terrorism, earlier summoned the US ambassador in
protest at the incident in tribal South Waziristan, in which local
officials said at least 15 people were killed.
Wednesday’s raid marked the first time
Pakistan has accused international troops based in Afghanistan of a
direct attack on its soil since they were deployed in late 2001 to
oust the hard line Taliban regime from power in Kabul.
Both the US-led coalition and the separate
NATO-led security force operating in Afghanistan have said they have
no knowledge of any such incident in South Waziristan, a known haven
for Taliban and al-Qaeda militants.
“I will reiterate is that we’ve been working
closely with the new civilian government of Pakistan that is feeling
its way and working to establish itself,” said Perino.
She said the two allies faced “a common
enemy” in the Taliban Islamist militia and the al-Qaeda terrorist
network and noted “a very big scare yesterday” with a failed
attack on Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
“We have a lot of cooperation that’s ongoing
with them and a lot of need to increase communication,” said
Perino.
Asked for the underlying rationale for not
commenting on the reported strike, Perino replied: “All I can tell
you is that I am going to decline to comment on reports about that
incident.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
warned US President George W. Bush in July against acting
“unilaterally” against Islamic militants in Pakistan.
-- AFP
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