VOA标准英语10月-Suspected US Missile Strikes Pakistan's South Waz
时间：2008-11-12 03:26:33
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Locals in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal1 agency say a suspected U.S. drone aircraft has fired a missile into a local home. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Islamabad that intelligence officials say four people were killed in the latest apparent attack against Taliban militants2.
Suspected American drone aircraft have launched about 12 missile strikes against targets in North and South Waziristan in the past two months - a sharp increase in such operations against suspected Taliban and al Qaida militants. The latest strike hit an area controlled by Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of a coalition3 of Pakistani Taliban groups.
Earlier, Taliban militants in the Swat valley attacked a police station using rockets before a suicide bomber4 detonated a car bomb next to the compound. The attack killed at least four security personnel.
Since August, Pakistan's military has been locked in ongoing5 battles against Islamic militants in areas of the rural northwest. Officials say militants have retaliated6 by carrying out bombings in Pakistan's cities, including last month's bombing of the Marriott hotel in Islamabad that killed more than 50 people.
The fighting has weakened Pakistan's already shaky economy, sending the rupee to an all time low against the dollar. A continuing electricity shortage still plagues much of the country and has contributed to water shortages in some places.
Lawmakers have pledged to pursue a political consensus7 for a security plan to tackle the militancy8, but an ongoing series of closed-door military briefings to a joint9-session of parliament have drawn10 criticisms from many politicians.
Pakistan Muslim League - Q party Senator Khalid Ranjha tells VOA the meetings have been largely filled with platitudes11.
"It is a common reaction of all the members that this is much ado about nothing," Ranjha said. "This is nothing to do with a joint session apart from good phrases, we should do better, we should fight terrorism - there is nothing to bite at."
The closed-door meetings are expected to continue for several more days. Lawmakers are officially barred from discussing the content of the proceedings12.
