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utorak, 19.05.2009.

Mudslides tumbled down a rain-soaked mountain in the southern Philippines, burying dozens of shanties in a gold mining village and killing at least 26 people

MANILA, Philippines – Mudslides tumbled down a rain-soaked mountain in the southern Philippines, burying dozens of shanties in a gold mining village and killing at least 26 people, a provincial governor said Tuesday.

A 50-member police and military rescue team headed to the remote village of Napnapan to help search for at least six people missing a day after the landslides hit, said Gov. Arthur Uy of Compostela Valley province.

The village, which normally has no police presence, is about 64 miles (40 kilometers) from the nearest main town and the rescuers brought a back hoe and other heavy equipment to clear the only road leading to it, police Inspector Winifredo Regidor said.

One mudslide slammed into about 30 shanties, followed by another that swept away a house, Uy told The Associated Press by telephone.

About 19 people, most of them miners, were treated for injuries, Uy said. Three of them were airlifted in an air force helicopter that brought in a medical team, police said.

The landslide-prone area was saturated after days of rain and residents had ignored warnings to leave, Uy said.

"We have been asking them to leave, and we are planning to cordon the area," Uy said. "We are happy to have this gold mining area here. But the dark side are the deaths that occur in these natural calamities."

The area around Mount Diwata — about 580 miles (930 kilometers) southeast of Manila — has about 40,000 residents, mostly miners and their families.

Forecasters said additional rain over the southern Philippines could trigger more flooding and landslides.

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Colombia's defense minister resigned on Monday, saying he will launch a presidential bid if current President

BOGOTA – Colombia's defense minister resigned on Monday, saying he will launch a presidential bid if current President Alvaro Uribe decides not to seek a third term.

Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, who has received credit for some of the military's biggest successes against leftist rebels, said he is stepping down on May 23 after nearly three years in the post.

Colombian law says public officials have to step down a year ahead of the May 2010 election in order to seek the presidency.

Santos said he will support Uribe if the president runs for a third term, but if Uribe isn't on the ballot, Santos said, "I will be a candidate."

Uribe has not said publicly whether he will seek a third term, something that would require a constitutional change. Uribe was re-elected to a second term in 2006.

Colombia's senate on Tuesday plans to consider whether to schedule a referendum that could eliminate the ban on a third term.

No replacement was immediately named for Santos, during whose tenure the military achieved major blows against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Those included a raid on a rebel camp that killed guerrilla commander Raul Reyes and the military's stunning rescue of three U.S. military contractors and French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt who had been held captive by the FARC.

Santos says the FARC has been reduced to fewer than 8,000 fighters, less than half its strength when Uribe first took office in 2002.

Uribe, a U.S.-backed conservative, has maintained high popularity for reclaiming large swaths of the cocaine-producing country from the rebels.

Santos' military also has faced controversy over the alleged Army killings of more than 1,600 civilians, some of whom were falsely labeled as rebels to boost body counts.

A Louisiana middle school student stormed into a classroom and fired a gunshot over

LAROSE, La. – A Louisiana middle school student stormed into a classroom and fired a gunshot over a teacher's head Monday before shooting himself in a bathroom, authorities said. Investigators found a suicide note and plans for a rampage in the teen's journal.

The 15-year-old student, whose name was not released, fired once around 9 a.m. inside a classroom at Larose-Cut Off Middle School, then shot himself in the head, said Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre. He was in critical but stable condition. The teacher had never taught the teen.

Webre said investigators found a note describing the boy's plans to "gear up" before his spree, along with a drawing of how he'd dress. The boy also scribbled "I am king" and "y'all will die!" on a sheet of paper investigators found.

Although he apparently was intent on killing people, he was armed with only four bullets for the .25-caliber, semiautomatic pistol he had taken from his father's home during the weekend. The boy's mother noticed he seemed nervous before school, but he said he was just worried about seeing his standardized test results, which were released Monday, Webre said.

About 500 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders attend the school in a rural community of about 7,000 people, some 45 miles southwest of New Orleans. Webre said the boy had no disciplinary problems at school and hadn't been in trouble with the law. The teen had no reason to be in the classroom, he said.

He was a year or two older than most of his classmates, who described him as a quiet boy who never talked about guns or violence.

Webre said investigators found inside the boy's bookbag a completely filled journal and two loose sheets of paper that appeared to be a plan for the shooting and a suicide note. The school has both standing and handheld metal detectors, but they aren't used all the time and weren't in use Monday.

Webre said the boy arrived at the school in uniform — white shirt, khaki pants — but changed into camouflage pants shown in his drawing. In an expletive-laced note, he wrote, "First, I will tell my art class teacher that I had to go to the bathroom. Then I would go to the last stall and 'gear up.'"

Eighth-grader Dustin Sevin said the boy has been his friend for several years and that he never talked about guns or violence. At the end of second period, his friend said he needed to see the nurse and left with his backpack.

The teen apparently headed to another classroom, walked to the front of the room and pointed the pistol at the whiteboard, said sheriff's spokeswoman Sgt. Lesley Hill-Peters. He tried to fire at the board, but it wouldn't go off. He then stepped forward, pointed the gun at the teacher, raised it and fired a single shot over her head.

Coley Gaspard, 14, said he was in his seventh-grade English and reading class when the boy came in. The teen yelled for everyone to get down, cursing at the class.

Nobody moved. Gaspard knew the boy, whom he described as quiet and nice, and thought it was a dramatic enactment for some sort of lesson. Then, he said, the boy walked over and pointed the gun at the teacher, ordering her to say, "Hail Marilyn Manson," referring to the shock-rock icon, Gaspard said.

She said nothing. He fired into the wall and told another boy to get up. The seventh-grader stayed in his seat, and the teen left.

Hill-Peters, the spokeswoman, said she couldn't confirm Gaspard's account.

"After a situation like this you're going to have a lot of kids, a lot of parents, a lot of people saying a lot of stuff," she said.

The school was scheduled to reopen Tuesday with enhanced security and several counselors on hand.

President Barack Obama plans to propose the first-ever national emission limits for cars and trucks as well as average mileage requirements of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama plans to propose the first-ever national emission limits for cars and trucks as well as average mileage requirements of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 — all costing consumers an extra $1,300 per vehicle. Obama's plan couples for the first time pollution reduction from vehicle tailpipes with increased efficiency on the road. It would save 1.8 billion barrels of oil through 2016 and would be the environmental equivalent to taking 177 million cars off the road, senior administration officials said Monday night.

The plan also would effectively end a feud between automakers and statehouses over emission standards — with the states coming out on top but the automakers getting a single national standard and more time to make the changes.

The plan still must clear regulatory hurdles at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department. The administration officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the formal announcement by Obama was scheduled for Tuesday.

New vehicles would be 30 percent cleaner and more fuel efficient by the end of the program, according to officials familiar with the administration's discussions. The officials also spoke on condition of anonymity because the formal announcement had not been made.

Administration officials said consumers were going to pay an extra $700 for mileage standards that had already been approved. The comprehensive Obama plan would add another $600 to the price of a vehicle, a senior administration official said.

The extra miles would come at roughly a 5 percent increase each year. By the time the plan takes full effect, at the end of 2016, new vehicles would cost an extra $1,300.

The cost would be recovered through savings at the pump for consumers who choose a standard 60-month car loan if gas prices follow government projections, according to one official.

In a battle over emission standards, California, 13 other states and the District of Columbia have urged the federal government to let them enact more stringent standards than the federal government's requirements. The states' regulations would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in new cars and trucks by 2016 — the benchmark Obama planned to unveil for vehicles built in model years 2012 and beyond.

The Obama plan gives the states essentially what they sought and more, although the buildup is slower than the states sought. In exchange, though, cash-strapped states such as California would not have to develop their own standards and enforcement plan. Instead, they can rely on federal tax dollars to monitor the environment.

A 2007 energy law requires carmakers to meet at least 35 mpg by 2020, a 40 percent increase over the current standard of about 25 mpg. Passenger car requirements have remained unchanged at 27.5 mpg since 1985, drawing complaints from environmental groups that the government has been slow to push automakers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The auto industry will be required to ramp up production of more fuel efficient vehicles on a much tighter timeline than originally envisioned. It will be costly; the Transportation Department last year estimated that requiring the industry to meet 31.6 mpg by 2015 would cost nearly $47 billion.

But industry officials — many of whom are running companies on emergency taxpayer dollars — said Obama's plan would help them because they would not face multiple emissions requirements and would have more certainty as they develop their vehicles for the next decade.

"For us, that clarity, not having to address a patchwork of conflicting laws and regulations across our country, is a significant win," said David McCurdy, a former Oklahoma congressman who leads the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group which represents 11 vehicle manufacturers.

Auto executives, including General Motors Corps. CEO Fritz Henderson, and executives from Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Daimler AG and others planned to attend the White House event. United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger also planned to attend.

Henderson said the automaker, which faces a June 1 deadline by which it may be forced to file bankruptcy, was "fully committed" to the administration's approach. His company and Chrysler LLC have received billions in government loans during a dramatic downturn in car sales and weakened economy.

Toyota Motor Sales USA President James Lentz also issued a statement in support of the single benchmark.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, praised the move, which allows him to declare victory on policy and dodge a tricky budget question on how to pay for it.

"Today, we're seeing what happens when California leads on energy and the environment and doesn't waiver, doesn't get bogged down, doesn't let obstacles get in the way," Schwarzenegger said.

It also provides a reason for Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat who is being considered for the Supreme Court vacancy, to visit the White House. Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said Granholm's visit was primarily for the autos event but wouldn't comment if she would meet with Obama about the soon-to-be-vacant court position.

A March 2008 decision prevents states from setting their own limits on greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, but Obama has ordered the EPA to reconsider the ruling.

The EPA was already working toward establishing federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for new motor vehicles when it made a preliminary determination in April that six greenhouse gases — four of which are released from automobiles — endanger human health and welfare.

Before the new Obama proposals would even have a chance at being implemented, the EPA would have to approve those findings. Hearings began on Monday.

ponedjeljak, 18.05.2009.

Asian stocks fell Monday as weak company earnings led investors to ratchet down hopes

HONG KONG – Asian stocks fell Monday as weak company earnings led investors to ratchet down hopes for a global recovery, but India's index vaulted 17 percent after election results paved the way for economic reforms.

Tokyo shares were hardest hit after two of Japan's leading companies — Panasonic and Mizuho Financial — reported colossal losses for the last fiscal year. The strengthening yen hurt the country's major exporters. Oil firms, meanwhile, sank along with crude prices.

But India provided a bright spot, its shares surging in early trade as results of national elections boosted confidence about the government's stability and ability to enact long-awaited reforms.

Losses across most of Asia followed Wall Street and came after global markets ended last week mostly higher. One catalyst was the still-dreary outlook for the world's largest economy highlighted by ugly U.S. retail and housing figures. Plummeting Chinese exports and foreign investment didn't help matters.

Investors have jumped into stocks since early March as the rate of deterioration in the world economy eased somewhat.

Analysts say a correction is healthy after such a steep climb. At the same time, expectations are rising for evidence of growth in economies and corporate earnings, not just slower declines.

"We need to see more signs of demand actually picking up and the economy improving. Without that, we're going to trade in a range or see more selling," said Yoji Takeda, who helps manage $1 billion in assets at RBC Investment Management in Hong Kong.

Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index lost 226.33 points, or 2.4 percent, to 9,038.69 in a broad-market decline spurred by a stronger yen, which hurts exports, and sagging corporate results.

Electronics giant Panasonic plummeted 7.6 percent after announcing Friday a 378.96 billion yen ($4 billion) loss for the fiscal year and projecting a steeper-than-feared net loss for the coming year.

Among banks, Mizuho Financial Group Inc., Japan's second-largest lender, shed 3.8 percent after posting a group net loss of 588.8 billion yen ($6.2 billion).

Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 138.69, or 0.8 percent, to 16,656.31, while South Korea's benchmark shed 0.4 percent to 1,386.68. Shanghai's index dropped 0.1 percent and Australia's stock measure was off 1 percent.

In India, the benchmark Sensex soared 17.2 percent, forcing trading to be halted for the day, amid euphoria over the Congress Party's definitive victory in national elections.

Friday in New York, stocks extended the week's losses as investors found little incentive to buy despite economic news that wasn't as weak as expected.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 62.68, or 0.8 percent, to 8,268.64. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 10.19, or 1.1 percent, to 882.88.

U.S. futures pointed to more losses on Wall Street Monday. Dow futures fell 45 points, or 0.5 percent, to 8,222 and S&P futures dropped 3.3, or 0.4 percent, to 879.70.

Oil prices hovered near $57 a barrel in Asia as traders backed off last week's push to above $60 amid signs of weak crude demand. Benchmark crude for June delivery was up 37 cents to $56.71. The contract dropped $2.28 on Friday.

In currencies, the dollar weakened against the yen, a reflection of the lower appetite for risk among investors who've treated the Japanese currency as a safe haven in recent months. The greenback fell to 94.91 yen from 95.26 yen.

The euro slid to $1.3454 from $1.3493.

Sporting a goatee and an old-school swimsuit, Michael Phelps picked up right where he left off in Beijing.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Sporting a goatee and an old-school swimsuit, Michael Phelps picked up right where he left off in Beijing.

Two races. Two wins.

The world's greatest swimmer left everyone — and everything — in his wake Friday night at his first meet since a triumphant Olympics. That nine-month layoff? No problem. That embarrassing photo of him using a marijuana pipe? Time to let that one go, too.

None of it seemed to matter when Phelps dove in for two events less than an hour apart at the Charlotte UltraSwim. He started with a victory in the 200-meter freestyle and came right back to touch first in the 100 butterfly, both with times that easily broke the meet records he set three years ago.

Considering Phelps hadn't bothered to shave down and he wore a 2004 model leg suit — a real antique in the fast-changing swimsuit world — it was clear the kickoff to this final stage of his career is starting way ahead of schedule.

"I was real excited," Phelps said. "It didn't matter how I felt, I was excited just to race. That's the most important thing. I still have that drive and that passion to race."

Does he ever.

Coach Bob Bowman, usually Phelps' harshest critic, was downright giddy when he saw the times. He figured Phelps would be doing well to swim the 200 free in just under 1 minute, 48 seconds. He went nearly 2 seconds faster, even giving a little sample of the straight-arm, wind-milling stroke he plans to use in the shorter races as he surged toward the wall with a time of 1:46.02.

In the fly, Phelps swam the outward lap in 24.6 and made the return in 27.1 for a total time of 51.72. Doing some quick math on his worksheet, Bowman calculated that both laps were exactly 0.6 seconds faster than what Phelps did to win the gold medal in Beijing.

Clearly, he hasn't lost that remarkable sense of timing.

"Mentally, he's the best ever," Bowman said. "We make a big deal about his physical (attributes), and it's there. But it's the way he approaches the race, the way his brain works in competition. That's the way you would like every swimmer to think."

Phelps won these same two events at Beijing, part of his record-breaking haul of eight gold medals. He became a cultural icon, doing everything from hosting "Saturday Night Live" to getting grilled on "The Colbert Report," but his career ran into an unplanned hurdle when the infamous photo was published by a British tabloid in early February.

Even though no criminal charges were filed, USA Swimming gave Phelps a three-month suspension from competition. At first, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to return to the pool. But, after going into virtual seclusion for nearly a month, he had an epiphany one Sunday morning: Yes, he did want to keep swimming until the 2012 Olympics.

The Charlotte UltraSwim is his first step toward his London farewell.

"I'm definitely ahead of where I thought I would be," Phelps said. "After taking that much of a break, I didn't know what to expect or where to really put myself. So I'm very pleased. This is an excellent start to hopefully building off this and getting ready for the summer."

He has three more events in Charlotte, none of them holdovers from his Olympic program. He'll swim the 50 free and 100 backstroke on Saturday, and close it out with the 100 free on Sunday.

After the turmoil of the past three months — his suspension ended just last week — Phelps was back in his comfort zone. During the morning preliminaries, he smiled for the cameras, joked around with the other swimmers and paused to sign a few autographs.

The only thing that caught him off guard was the amount off media attention, including reporters from as far away as Britain, France and Japan.

"It's kind of weird," he said. "I feel like there's more pressure than Beijing. I didn't even see this many cameras in Beijing."

These cameras, he didn't mind.

He came out in a gray hoodie, tennis shoes and those ever-present ear plugs, fiddling around with his music as he waited to swim. He wore a white swim cap with "NBAC" written across the sides — North Baltimore Aquatic Club.

Another Olympian, Aaron Peirsol, gave Phelps a wink and a pat on the shoulder as he walked by on the way to his heat.

Phelps continued to yuk it up as he got behind the starting blocks, a striking change from the fierce-looking game face he displayed before every race in Beijing. Finally, though, he went into his familiar routine.

He wiped down the starting block with a towel. Then he stretched out each leg on the block. He adjusted his goggles. He stepped up, bent over and flapped his arms wildly three times.

Then, he was off.

"I'm sure his focus wants to remain at the pool," Peirsol said. "That's certainly where he's going to be most comfortable right now."

Phelps hardly said a word on his way to the aquatic center.

"To me, that means he might have been a little bit nervous," Bowman said. "I think now he seems like his normal self. It's good to get the first one done.

"You just don't know what's going to happen. That's when you get the most nervous, when you can't predict what's going to happen. Now he had a feel for where he is a little bit."

There was only one minor glitch the whole day.

After getting out of the warm-up pool before his first prelim, Phelps felt a small hole in the back of his jammer suit. He couldn't stop laughing about it on his way to the blocks.

"I was hoping it wasn't going to rip when I bent down at the start," Phelps said, smiling. "But it was all good. We got that all straightened out and fixed."

After that, it was business as usual.

"I could tell after that first prelim swim this morning that the switch was flipped," Bowman said. "It was at least half-flipped. Then tonight, after the 200 free, it was fully flipped. He swam that 100 fly like always, like normal."

In other words, better than anyone.

Ever.

nedjelja, 17.05.2009.

With a reach across the political divide for Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman as ambassador to China

WASHINGTON – With a reach across the political divide for Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman as ambassador to China, President Barack Obama may have sidelined for now a potentially formidable Republican moderate and possible White House challenger in 2012.

Yet Huntsman, who has upset the GOP's conservative base by supporting gay civil unions, may gain, too. The appointment, which requires Senate approval, gives him a chance to burnish his credentials and position himself as a viable presidential contender in 2016, if Obama appears to be a strong candidate for a second term in 2012.

John Weaver, a one-time senior strategist for John McCain's presidential campaign who now advises Huntsman, said the governor put country ahead of personal partisan interest. Huntsman was national co-chairman of McCain's failed bid against Obama.

"It's no more complicated than that, though it is so unusual in Washington everyone has to take a magnifying glass to it," Weaver said after Obama introduced Huntsman in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room.

"He was asked by the president to serve in a major diplomatic post, in a mission with a country most important to our economy, in dealing with Iran, Pakistan and North Korea. Jon is uniquely qualified and thus you don't turn your nation down," Weaver said.

Obama said he knew Huntsman's nomination "wouldn't be the easiest decision to explain to some members of his party." But Obama said Huntsman was "the kind of leader who always puts country ahead of party and is always willing to sacrifice on behalf of our nation."

Elected to his second term in November, Huntsman said he wasn't looking for a new job and didn't expect "to be called into action" by McCain's winning rival.

"But I grew up understanding that the most basic responsibility one has is service to country," he said, standing with Obama as his family looked on. "When the president of the United States asks you to step up and serve in a capacity like this, that to me is the end of the conversation and the beginning of the obligation to rise to the challenge."

Huntsman will be 56 in 2016, young enough to handle the rigors of a national political campaign. Republican strategists say serving as U.S. envoy to China — which Obama says will be critical to solving many world problems — will only improve Huntsman's reputation.

LaVarr Webb, a Republican strategist in Utah, said the appointment is a plus for Huntsman. He said Huntsman became a long shot for 2012 after his headline-making call for the GOP to moderate its tone if it wants to rebound from 2008 election losses.

"Clearly Gov. Huntsman does have major political ambitions and serving as ambassador to China certainly gives him foreign policy credentials," Webb said.

Eric Hyer, a China expert and political scientist at Brigham Young University, said the decision surprised him because no one seeks the presidency from an ambassador's post.

"So he might serve for four years and then come back and run for president. But can you run against the guy who hired you?" Hyer said.

Obama said he made the appointment "mindful of its extraordinary significance" and the breadth of issues at stake in U.S.-China relations, including the global economic crisis, the environment, public health, human rights and North Korea and Pakistan.

Huntsman, 49, is fluent in Mandarin Chinese from his days as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan. He previously served as U.S. ambassador to Singapore and as a deputy U.S. trade ambassador.

He made a name for himself in Utah by advocating a moderate agenda in one of the most conservative states. He drew the most attention for supporting civil unions, despite backing a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that passed in 2004.

Obama's 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe, has described Huntsman as a Republican who "seems to understand the party has to adjust — not stubbornly believe that everything is OK and it is the country that has to change."

As ambassador, Huntsman could play a critical role in getting China to sign onto a new international agreement to curb the emissions blamed for global warming. The Obama administration has said it is willing to enter into a treaty, but that participation by China — the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases — could influence the success of any global pact and whether U.S. lawmakers will ratify the agreement.

As governor, he signed an initiative establishing a regional effort to reduce global warming. In a 2006 speech at Shanghai Normal University, Huntsman spoke of the need for China and the U.S. to collaborate on environmental issues.

Before becoming governor in 2005, Huntsman made millions as chairman and chief executive of his family business, Huntsman Corp., a global chemical manufacturer with more than 12,000 employees worldwide. Revenues last year exceeded $10 billion.

Huntsman and his wife, Mary Kaye, have seven children, including adopted daughters from China and India. He dropped out of high school to play in a rock band, and spends his spare time playing in a band and mountain biking. He also rides a motorcycle and is a fan of motocross.

Jeff Bader, Obama's senior adviser on Asia, knew Huntsman from when they both worked in the U.S. Trade Representative's office, and he contacted Huntsman about a month ago to discuss becoming ambassador to China, according to the White House.

Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, followed up two weeks ago. Obama made an offer on May 5, and Huntsman accepted. The two then met last Saturday in the Oval Office when Huntsman was in town for the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

Utah Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert, also a Republican, would become governor until a special election in 2010.

An apparent U.S. missile strike destroyed an Islamic school in an al-Qaida stronghold in northwestern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – An apparent U.S. missile strike destroyed an Islamic school in an al-Qaida stronghold in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing 12 people including two suspected foreign militants, officials said.

The attack came as Pakistan's army prepared to assail Taliban militants entrenched in the main town in the Swat Valley, from where nearly a million civilians have fled a military offensive against Taliban guerrillas.

Another face of the violence roiling the region was evident Saturday when a bomb exploded in the city of Peshawar, killing nine civilians including three children riding in a school bus, police said. Another 25 people were injured.

American forces have maintained a bombardment of militant targets in the lawless Pakistani regions bordering Afghanistan while pressing Islamabad to tackle Taliban-held regions further inland.

Pakistani officials said several missiles hit the school and a nearby vehicle Saturday morning in Mir Ali, a town in the North Waziristan tribal region.

Two intelligence officials, citing reports from agents in the field, said at least 12 people were killed, including two foreign militants, and dozens more were wounded.

The identity of the victims was not immediately clear, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly to the media.

President Barack Obama has identified the elimination of militant sanctuaries in Pakistan as critical if America is to eliminate al-Qaida and turn around its faltering war effort in Afghanistan. Pakistan's border region is considered the likely hiding place of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.

Using unmanned aircraft, American forces have carried out dozens of missile attacks in northwestern Pakistan over the past year. U.S. officials rarely confirm the attacks, but say they have killed a string of al-Qaida commanders.

Pakistan's government has publicly protested the tactic, arguing that it kills too many civilians and undermines its efforts to turn tribal leaders away from hard-liners.

The Pakistan army this week rejected media reports that it was jointly controlling missions by U.S. drones over Pakistani territory. The civilian government has asked Washington to add drones to its latest military aid package.