PAKISTAN: WAZIRISTAN, SOLDIERS SHOOT AT 2 US HELICOPTERS

(AGI) - Miranshah, 22 Sept – There has been yet another raid by US forces in Pakistan, and once again Islamabad governmental troops have reacted, this time by opening fire on two US assault helicopters which had gone into North Waziristan, one of the turbulent, semi-autonomous tribal areas along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan over which the central government in Pakistan has power in name only. The incident was reported by local authorities, who said that the shots from the ground by the governmental troops forced the two US aircraft to turn around and go back into Afghanistan. On Saturday, in making a speech before the National Parliament in a plenary session, the newly-sworn-in president Asif Ali Zardari warned that no tolerance would be shown towards “violations of our sovereignty and territorial integrity”, while at the same time reiterating his commitment in the “fight against terrorism and extremism.” Growing military operations in the United States along the border have given rise to the rage of protests from a state which has traditionally been one of the Washington’s closest Asian allies.