Missile Attacks, Apparently by US, Kill 27 in Pakistan, Including Qaeda Operative

Friday in Pakistan two villages close to the Afghan border were slammed with missile attacks that were apparently fired by remotely piloted American aircraft. Intelligence officials stated that 27 people were killed, including an operative with Al Qaeda and other foreign militants. Including the new strikes, there have been at least 17 attacks since August. These attacks have angered many Pakistani's and has therefore put a strain on the 7-year alliance that has existed between Pakistan and the US. The rising violence is worsening the economic problems of Pakistan and threatening the country's stability. The reason for the missile attacks from the US is because the US feels Pakistan is not doing their job to curb Islamist extremists who are thought to be responsible for attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many Al Qaeda members, including Osama bin Laden, are thought to be hiding in northwest Pakistan, along the Afghan border.
The US is not confirming or denying American involvement on the attacks inside Pakistan. They rarely comment on the attacks, and the identities of the people killed are only occasionally made public. Residents claim that among the people that are dead are sometimes women and children.
Intelligence officials identified the al Qaeda member that was killed as Abu Kasha, someone who has been living in Pakistan for three years and organizing attacks on foreign troops in Afghanistan. He was among 20 other people killed, when two missiles hit a house and a car in a village in North Waziristan. It was about two hours later that seven more poeple were killed when two more missiles hit a village in South Waziristan.
The Pakistan government continues to insist that the missile attacks, along with a ground raid made by the US in September, violated the country's sovereignty. They insist that their military is taking care of the militants and have already killed 1500 insurgents in South Waziristan.

Brittney Nicola
11/6/08
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/world/asia/01drone.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=pakistan&st=cse&oref=slogin