Washington, Feb. 26 : The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Leon Panetta, has said that US drone attacks against al-Qaeda and other extremist strongholds inside Pakistan would continue, notwithstanding a popular Pakistani backlash.
"Nothing has changed our efforts to go after terrorists, and nothing will change those efforts," Panetta said in response to questions about CIA missile attacks, launched from unmanned Predator aircraft.
Although he refused to discuss details of the attacks, the Washington Post quoted Panetta as saying that efforts begun under the Bush administration to destabilize al-Qaeda and destroy its leadership "have been successful."