Pakistan has rebuked the Bush administration for recent comments asserting the U.S. would attack areas inside Pakistan if deemed necessary to fight al-Qaeda militants.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri: “Such statements are irresponsible, and they should not be made. In fact, they are counterproductive to the sort of effort and cooperation that Pakistan and the United States are making jointly. And this may be election season in the United States, but it should not be at our expense.”