U.S. senators defend Pakistan missile strike that killed 18
{{date|January 16, 2006}}
{{Wikinews Today short infobox}}
U.S. senators are defending the missile strike that left 18 Pakistani villagers, including women and children, dead in northern Pakistan but missed the alleged [[w:al-Qaeda|al-Qaeda]] member [[W:Ayman al-Zawahiri|Ayman al-Zawahiri]].

Senator [[w:Trent Lott|Trent Lott]] said the strike was "clearly justified by the intelligence". Senator Evan Bayh explained that with the lack of government control in the tribal areas "regrettably, this kind of thing is what we're left with." He said, "Now, it's a regrettable situation, but what else are we supposed to do?" Senator [[John McCain]] apologized for the strike, but added that he couldn't say the U.S. would not do the same thing again. He added the U.S. has "to do what [we] think is necessary to take out al-Qaeda, particularly the top operatives. This guy has been more visible than Osama bin Laden lately."

Meanwhile the killings prompted demonstrations across Pakistan on Sunday. They were mostly organized by Islamist factions, but opposition political parties as well as a key coalition partner of the current government participated. "There has been a protest in every big city, and the government understands why so many people are angry," said Pakistan's information minister [[w:Sheikh Rashid Ahmad|Sheikh Rashid Ahmad]]. The demonstrators were mostly peaceful, chanting "Death to America" and "Stop bombing innocent people," but on Saturday the office of a U.S. backed aid agency was set on fire.

A Pakistani intelligence official has contradicted reports that DNA tests were being performed on the victims to determine their identity. "What do you think, that the families of the victims would let us or the Americans dig the graves of their loved ones for FBI tests? An absolutely crazy idea."

{{haveyoursay}}
== Related news ==
*{{wikinews|title=Protests erupt in Pakistan over US air strike|date=January 15, 2006}}
*{{wikinews|title=18 killed in U.S. air strike on village in Pakistan|date=January 14, 2006}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/15/AR2006011500371.html
 |title=Protests Spread Across Pakistan
 |author=Kamran Khan and Griff Witte
 |pub=Washington Post
 |date=January 16, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/15/alqaeda.strike.us/index.html
 |title=Lawmakers defend Pakistan strike
 |author=
 |pub=CNN
 |date=January 15, 2006}}

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[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Pakistan]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:John McCain]]
[[Category:Federally Administered Tribal Areas]]
U.S. senators are defending the missile strike that left 18 Pakistani villagers, including women and children, dead in northern Pakistan but missed the alleged al-Qaeda member Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Senator Trent Lott said the strike was "clearly justified by the intelligence". Senator Evan Bayh explained that with the lack of government control in the tribal areas "regrettably, this kind of thing is what we're left with." He said, "Now, it's a regrettable situation, but what else are we supposed to do?" Senator John McCain apologized for the strike, but added that he couldn't say the U.S. would not do the same thing again. He added the U.S. has "to do what we think is necessary to take out al-Qaeda, particularly the top operatives. This guy has been more visible than Osama bin Laden lately."

Meanwhile the killings prompted demonstrations across Pakistan on Sunday. They were mostly organized by Islamist factions, but opposition political parties as well as a key coalition partner of the current government participated. "There has been a protest in every big city, and the government understands why so many people are angry," said Pakistan's information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad. The demonstrators were mostly peaceful, chanting "Death to America" and "Stop bombing innocent people," but on Saturday the office of a U.S. backed aid agency was set on fire.

A Pakistani intelligence official has contradicted reports that DNA tests were being performed on the victims to determine their identity. "What do you think, that the families of the victims would let us or the Americans dig the graves of their loved ones for FBI tests? An absolutely crazy idea."
United States Pakistan Politics and conflicts John McCain Federally Administered Tribal Areas