Secretary of State Madeleine Albright today defended the right of U.S. and British pilots to protect themselves while patrolling the no-fly zones over Iraq, after the Pentagon acknowledged yesterday that a U.S. missile strayed off its target and hit a residential neighborhood in the southern city of Basra. Albright said Iraq had repeatedly violated the no-fly zone and attacked pilots. “We regret the stray missile in Basra that killed some civilians, but we believe that it is essential for the no-fly zones to be protected and for our pilots to be able to defend themselves when they are attacked,” she said.