Pakistani parliament condemns U.S.-led attack

In a sign of the complex nature of the situation along the porous border, a U.S. commander told the AP that U.S. troops in Afghanistan will step up offensive operations this winter because insurgents are increasingly staying in the country to prepare for spring attacks.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser said 7,000 to 11,000 insurgents operate in the eastern part of Afghanistan that he oversees — a far higher estimate than given by previous U.S. commanders.

He said the U.S. military realized more militants spent last winter in Afghanistan after speaking with elders and villagers who were pushed out of their homes. The spike in violence in the spring occurred because insurgents were already in position to unleash attacks, though U.S. officials did not know it at the time, he said.

In Washington, some administration officials have pressed President Bush to direct U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be more aggressive in pursuing militants into Pakistan on foot as part of a proposed radical shift in regional counterterrorism strategy, the AP learned.

'Battle for Pakistan's soul'
In a column Thursday in The Washington Post, Zardari described global terrorism as chief among the challenges facing his country. The column mentioned an apparent assassination attempt Wednesday against Pakistan's prime minister but did not refer to the earlier cross-border raid.

"We stand with the United States, Britain, Spain and others who have been attacked," wrote Zardari, whose wife was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack in December. "Fundamentally, however, the war we are fighting is our war. This battle is for Pakistan's soul."

A lawmaker from the chief opposition party of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif blasted the U.S. for the attack.

"The American war against terrorism has become a war against Pakistan," Zafar Ali Shah said.

In another sign of opposition to Zardari, lawyers in the capital, Islamabad, scuffled with police in a protest over his broken promise to quickly reinstate judges ousted by Musharraf.

The circumstances of Wednesday's raid remained unclear, but U.S. rules of engagement allow American troops to chase militants across the border into Pakistan's tribal region when they are attacked. They may only go about six miles on the ground under normal circumstances. U.S. rules allow aircraft to go 10 miles into Pakistan air space.

However, army spokesman Abbas said "hot pursuit" wasn't an issue, calling the attack "completely unprovoked." He said Pakistani troops were near the village and saw and heard nothing to suggest the U.S. forces were pursuing insurgents.

He said the raid would undermine Pakistan's efforts to isolate Islamic extremists.

"We cannot afford a huge uprising at the level of tribe," Abbas told the AP. "That would be completely counterproductive and doesn't help the cause of fighting terrorism in the area."

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