US drone strike in Pakistan highlights divergent interests of US, Pakistan

By Ariel Zirulnick, Staff writer / May 23, 2012

Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Just after Pakistan's president left the NATO summit in Chicago earlier this week, a US drone killed four suspected militants in northwest Pakistan today. As the two countries attempt to reconcile, the attack is a reminder of disparate US and Pakistani interests.

Associated Press reports that today's strike targeted Datta Khel Kalai village in North Waziristan, according to Pakistani intelligence.

Pakistan has repeatedly demanded an end to the American drone campaign, and negotiations over the strikes have held up a deal to reopen NATO supply routes into Afghanistan, which Pakistan closed last year in retaliation for a US airstrike that killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers.

The closure of Pakistan supply routes has forced NATO to use alternate, more expensive routes for roughly 30 percent of its noncombat supplies for troops in Afghanistan, according to AP. The alternate routes go through Russia and Central Asia via land, air, and water. Pakistan appeared to be close to reopening the routes last week, prompting an invitation for Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to the NATO summit earlier this week. But negotiations were once again pushed off track by Pakistan's demand for higher transit fees.

Page: 1 | 2 | 3

US drone strike in Pakistan highlights divergent interests of US, Pakistan

An end to the US drone campaign has been a key demand of Pakistan in exchange for reopening NATO supply routes, highlighting the differences the US and Pakistan have to overcome.