国际英语新闻：Pakistani PM: U.S. drone attacks "promote" extremism, terrorism

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. drone attacks on Pakistani tribal regions are promoting extremism and terrorism, said Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani here Sunday.

    "I am saying with conviction that U.S. drone attacks promote extremism and terrorism. We cannot control terrorism and extremism with these attacks. Majority agree with my point," Gilani said at a press conference after arriving from Davos, Switzerland, where he attended the World Economic Forum annual meeting.

    Gilani said that the U.S. strikes would harm the campaign against terrorism, adding that the strikes are also increasing anti-U.S. sentiments in Pakistan.

    "We cannot win the war on terror without the people's support. We should win the mind and heart of the people," he insisted.

    Gilani said that he and the Pakistani authorities were raising the issue of drone attacks with the U.S. leadership. He said that a U.S. Congress delegation would be visiting Pakistan from Monday and the government would also take up the matter with them.

    He urged the Unite States to share credible and actionable intelligence with Pakistan and the Pakistani security forces would take action against the suspects.

    Gilani said that the Pakistani government wanted to separate terrorists from the common tribesmen as they are patriots. He said that there were many foreigners in the tribal regions who do not want peace in the areas.

    The Pakistani Senate was informed last week that the United States carried out 33 missile strikes on the country's tribal region since March last year.

    The United States says that the drone attacks are targeting hideouts of the suspected militants in the tribal regions.