Up against twin threats

IN his weekly news briefing on Friday, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman pointed to the danger of destabilisation for the country as a result of the continued American missile attacks on the suspected hideouts of terrorists. It would be hard to argue against his view that these instances were helping the terrorists rather than defeating their plans. One hopes that the message gets home and the US stops making any more forays, which have been causing the deaths of innocent civilians more often than killing militants. It is somewhat comforting, though, that it has not repeated the mistake of making a ground assault.