Panetta: Drone attacks will continue in Pakistan

Essential News from The Associated Press

AAA??Jun. 6, 2012?8:47 AM ET Panetta: Drone attacks will continue in Pakistan By LOLITA C. BALDORBy LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press?? U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta pays tribute at the India Gate war memorial monument, in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Panetta is urging leaders of India to play a more robust role in Afghanistan, as U.S. tensions with Pakistan, India's arch-rival, continue to churn. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi) U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta pays tribute at the India Gate war memorial monument, in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Panetta is urging leaders of India to play a more robust role in Afghanistan, as U.S. tensions with Pakistan, India's arch-rival, continue to churn. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi) U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta pays tribute at the India Gate war memorial monument, in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Panetta is urging leaders of India to play a more robust role in Afghanistan, as U.S. tensions with Pakistan, India's arch-rival, continue to churn. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi) U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, second left, speaks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a meeting at the Prime Minister's office in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Jim Watson, Pool) U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, right, smiles as he walks with Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony to the Defense Minister's office in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Panetta is urging leaders of India to play a more robust role in Afghanistan, as U.S. tensions with Pakistan, India's arch-rival, continue to churn. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta inspects a guard of honor in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Panetta is urging leaders of India to play a more robust role in Afghanistan, as U.S. tensions with Pakistan, India's arch-rival, continue to churn. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) NEW DELHI (AP) ? Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is delivering a strong defense of the U.S. use of drones to kill insurgents in Pakistan, telling an audience next door in India on Wednesday that America has made it clear to Islamabad it will continue to target al-Qaida leaders in that country. Asked whether the drone strikes created a problem with Pakistani sovereignty, Panetta says that "this is about our sovereignty as well." He says the strikes are not just about protecting the U.S. but are protecting Pakistan as well since people in that country are also targets of the insurgents. Associated Press

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