Massive two-day anti-U.S. protest begins in NW Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people in northwest Pakistan Saturday started a two-day sit-in against the U.S. drone strikes in the country's tribal regions, blocking main supply route for NATO troops in the neighboring Afghanistan.
Anger runs high in Pakistan against the U.S. drone strikes in the Waziristan tribal area, which CIA considers as the base for al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban militants for planning attacks across the border into Afghanistan.
The protest forced the authorities to suspend for two days supplies for nearly 150,000 U.S.-led foreign forces. Officials said that nearly 70 percent of NATO supplies are transported through Pakistan, the most risky but shorter supply route. Suspected militants regularly attack NATO trucks in Pakistan, which has also forced the United States to sign agreements with Russia for alternate supply route.
The protesters will continue the sit-in till Sunday and the organizers said they would announce future strategy at the conclusion of the protest. Despite the public resentment and Pakistan's protest, the U.S. administration has rejected any possibility to halt the strikes.
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