Pakistan responded Wednesday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates comments that the U.S. military will continue to attack suspected Al Qaeda strongholds in Pakistan, saying the country wants close cooperation with the U.S. on the operational level to deal with militants.
The goal is to establish cooperation with the United States to bring peace and stability to the region while eliminating extremism, Pakistan's spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told FOX News.
Pakistan claims to have done more than any other country, and says it looks forward to working closely with the U.S. administration in the fight against terrorism.
Gates, in testimony Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, addressed the subject after Pakistan urged the Obama administration over the weekend to halt such attacks. Two U.S. military strikes on targets inside Pakistan reportedly killed at least 20 people on Friday, and the Pakistani government said civilians were among those killed.
"I think that the strikes that are being undertaken are — well, let me just say both President Bush and President Obama have made clear that we will go after Al Qaeda wherever Al Qaeda is, and we will continue to pursue them," Gates said.
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