Cross-border strikes criticized

Key Pakistani says actions aren't productive

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's prime minister said yesterday that strikes by foreign forces were "counterproductive," as officials said there was no warning about the latest US missile strike in the Pakistani northwest.

Meanwhile, militants briefly seized 300 boys at a school in northwest Pakistan yesterday, police said. The incident ended with the deaths of two suicide bombers; no children were harmed.

The missile strike Wednesday was part of a surge in US cross-border operations, and it was especially galling to Pakistanis because it came the same day an American military leader assured the nation's leaders the US respects Pakistan's sovereignty.

Pakistan's civilian leaders stressed diplomacy to resolve the mounting tensions with an anti-terror ally that has given the Muslim nation billions of dollars in aid.

In his statement, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani did not specifically mention Wednesday's missile strike, though he spoke generally of strikes by foreign forces as being "counterproductive."

"The US government has been clearly told that there would be no compromise on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan," he said.

The cross-border operations, including an unusual Sept. 3 ground assault, signal American impatience with Pakistan's efforts to clear out militant sanctuaries in tribal regions along its border with Afghanistan.

Taliban and Al Qaeda militants use those semi-autonomous regions as bases to plan attacks on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is rumored to be hiding in the lawless border areas.

Pakistan insists it is doing all it can, while suffering heavy military losses, and that unilateral attacks by the US will deepen tribal sympathy for militants.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the prime minister, army chief and other officials Wednesday.

The US Embassy said Mullen "reiterated the US commitment to respect Pakistan's sovereignty and to develop further US-Pakistani cooperation and coordination on these critical issues that challenge the security and well-being of the people of both countries."

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters yesterday that Pakistani officials "were not informed" of the US missile strike Wednesday.

Asked about Mullen's statement, Qureshi said it and the strike "means there is some sort of an institutional disconnect on their side, and if so, they will have to sort it out."

Two US officials said yesterday that the missile strike was carried out by the CIA. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Two Pakistani intelligence officials told the Associated Press that the strike targeted a compound in South Waziristan used by Taliban militants and Hezb-i-Islami, another group involved in attacks in Afghanistan.

They said informants reported six people died and three others were wounded. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity.