GUNNER
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NATO Regrets Pakistan Troop Deaths, Urges Route Reopening
BRUSSELS, Oct 4, 2010 (AFP) - NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Pakistan on Monday to reopen a key Afghanistan supply route "as soon as possible" and expressed regret for the deaths of Pakistani troops in a NATO strike.
Pakistan has blocked a land route for NATO convoys carrying supplies to neighbouring Afghanistan since Thursday after officials blamed a cross-border NATO helicopter attack for the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers.
"I expressed my regrets for the incident last week in which Pakistani soldiers lost their lives," Rasmussen told reporters after meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
"I expressed condolences to the families. Obviously this incident was unintended," he added.
Rasmussen said NATO and Pakistan needed to "improve" and "step up" cooperation on the Afghan-Pakistani border region to prevent Taliban insurgents from crossing the frontier to attack foreign troops fighting in Afghanistan.
"I expressed hope the border will be open for supplies as soon as possible," he said. "The foreign minister committed himself to work on this."
Rasmussen noted that a joint investigation has been launched.
"We will discuss what happened and draw the right lessons," the NATO chief said.
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"I expressed condolences to the families. Obviously this incident was unintended,"
This aint bloody enough. Tell this to their families yourself.
BRUSSELS, Oct 4, 2010 (AFP) - NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Pakistan on Monday to reopen a key Afghanistan supply route "as soon as possible" and expressed regret for the deaths of Pakistani troops in a NATO strike.
Pakistan has blocked a land route for NATO convoys carrying supplies to neighbouring Afghanistan since Thursday after officials blamed a cross-border NATO helicopter attack for the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers.
"I expressed my regrets for the incident last week in which Pakistani soldiers lost their lives," Rasmussen told reporters after meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
"I expressed condolences to the families. Obviously this incident was unintended," he added.
Rasmussen said NATO and Pakistan needed to "improve" and "step up" cooperation on the Afghan-Pakistani border region to prevent Taliban insurgents from crossing the frontier to attack foreign troops fighting in Afghanistan.
"I expressed hope the border will be open for supplies as soon as possible," he said. "The foreign minister committed himself to work on this."
Rasmussen noted that a joint investigation has been launched.
"We will discuss what happened and draw the right lessons," the NATO chief said.
--------------------------
"I expressed condolences to the families. Obviously this incident was unintended,"
This aint bloody enough. Tell this to their families yourself.
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