July 29, 2008
PAKISTAN Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called on the US not to act "unilaterally" against Islamic militants in Pakistan.
Asked by CNN television about a suspected US missile strike on an al-Qa'ida leader in Pakistan, Gilani said he had told President George W. Bush at a White House meeting earlier on Monday that "unilaterally it should not be done"."We must have more co-operation with each other and it's our job because we are fighting the war for ourselves," he said.
Gilani declined to directly accuse the US of being behind the missile attack which security officials in Pakistan said had targeted Egyptian militant Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, al-Qa'ida's top expert on chemical and biological weapons.
But he said that if it was proven to have been a US operation, it would be a violation of Pakistani sovereignty.
"Basically Americans are a little impatient. Therefore in the future I think we'll have more co-operation on the intelligence side and we'll do the job ourselves," he said.
Gilani was also asked by CNN about efforts to capture al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden, believed to be hiding along the rugged border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"My government certainly is doing its best," he said.
"There are two things. One is the will, the other is ability. We have the will but at the same time the militants are equipped with the most sophisticated weapons in the world and therefore we can't match that equipment and the training," he said.
"Therefore when there is US co-operation more on the defence side, we'll be able to have more capabilities of fighting."
Source: The Australaian
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