Pakistan condemns new U.S. drone strike

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani officials condemned the United States yesterday for its first drone strike since parliament demanded they end two weeks ago, but qualified that it should be seen in light of the presence of Islamist militants on Pakistani soil.

The mixed signals indicate the delicate tightrope the government is trying to walk. The American attacks are very unpopular in Pakistan, so opposing them makes sense for political reasons. But the government does not seem to want the strikes to torpedo attempts to patch up ties with the United States, which could free up $1 billion in American military aid.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the strikes Sunday, killing three suspected militants in the North Waziristan tribal area, "are in total contravention of international law and established norms . . . The government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone attacks are violative of its territorial integrity and sovereignty."

Pakistan's parliament demanded an end to the strikes in mid-April when it approved new guidelines for the country's relationship with the United States.

Washington had hoped that decision would pave the way for Pakistan to reopen supply lines for NATO troops in Afghanistan that were closed in November in retaliation for American airstrikes that accidentally killed 24 Pakistani troops.

The drone attacks have been a stumbling block. But Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani struck a moderate tone yesterday, seeming to link them to the ability of militants fighting the government and international forces in Afghanistan to operate on Pakistani territory.

The United States has repeatedly demanded that Pakistan target Taliban and al-Qaida militants using its territory for cross-border attacks. The Pakistani military says its forces are stretched too thin by operations against homegrown militants.