US stops drone strikes in Pakistan to halt decline in relations: report

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US stops drone strikes in Pakistan to halt decline in relations: report

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The United States has put drone strikes in Pakistan on hold to halt decline in relations.

13 December,2011 04:14 am

The US has put drone strikes in Pakistan “on hold” to save a post-9/11 allegiance that’s on life support.A US official said that a strike now could “push US-Pakistan relations past the point of no return.”US commanders won’t hesitate, however, to take a shot if an enticing high-value target presents itself, the official said.Covert CIA drone strikes have eviscerated the leadership of Al Qaeda and allied groups — and kept survivors on the run.Notable kills include Al Qaeda co-founder Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid, Al Qaeda number two Atiyah Abd al-Rahman and top Al Qaeda collaborator Ilyas Kashmiri.The last strike took place November 17.The campaign, however, angered many Pakistanis and other Muslims around the world before its shaky relationship with the US went from bad to worse this year.Last month 24 Pakistani soldiers died after when NATO helicopters struck their position.In response, Pakistan threw the CIA out of an air base inside the country and shut off two border crossings used to resupply US troops.